Eagles LB Haason Reddick will have extra motivation facing his former team this weekend
Fresh off winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week against the Jaguars in Week 4, Eagles LB Haason Reddick is preparing to face the team that drafted him this weekend in Arizona.
The Cardinals selected the linebacker with the 13th overall selection during the 2017 NFL Draft. Reddick became just the third Temple Owl to be selected in the first-round of the NFL Draft, and it just so happened that the 2017 draft was held in Philadelphia.
It was a special occasion for Reddick, who was born and raised just across the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Camden, New Jersey. While the former Temple Owl is undoubtedly thankful for his selection in the first-round by Arizona, there will be no love lost when he faces his former team on Sunday.
“I always want to go back there just to show them what you guys let go,” Reddick told NBC Sports Philadelphia reporter John Clark. “I love going back, seeing some of the guys I played against, some of the coaches that had real love for me while I was there.”
Reddick on his return to Arizona
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It took a few years for Reddick to find his footing in the NFL, but once he did, he became one of the most productive pass rushers in football. His breakout campaign came in his final year with the Cardinals, where Reddick racked up 12.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, and six forced fumbles in 11 starts.
Despite his standout 2020 season, Arizona allowed Reddick to walk in free agency. His tear continued with his new team in Carolina, where he again posted double-digit sacks (11).
Now as a member of Jonathan Gannon’s defense in Philly, Reddick is once again on pace for a Pro Bowl-level season. With 3.5 sacks through four games, the Camden native is on pace to tally 14 sacks in 2022, which would be a career-high for the pass rusher.
Over the past two weeks, Reddick has started to establish himself as a cornerstone in Philly’s defensive system. Now that he’s set to face a team that let him walk despite putting up career numbers, expect his hot streak to continue out in the desert.
Mandatory Credit: Getty Images
