Eagles LB Haason Reddick Ready For Patriots After Thumb Surgery

Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick had thumb surgery last month, but he'll be ready to go on Sunday when his team takes the field in the first game of the season against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. That will continue his streak of not missing a single game in his pro career going back six seasons.

He's coming off a career year last season where he posted 16 sacks in the regular season and another 3.5 in the playoffs. He also understands that the best ability is availability.

“I remember when I first came into the league listening to some of the older guys saying that availability is a skill,” Reddick said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. “The ability to be able to be on a football field because of what kind of sport it is, how many people get injured, the ability to be on the field is a skill. So that’s something that I take pride in.”

The local Temple product was an integral part of a defense in Philly last season that totaled 70 sacks. That defense plus the outstanding play of the offense was responsible for the Eagles reaching the Super Bowl.

“To have the type of year that we had my first year back home, the energy, the love, the excitement, the whole atmosphere of the city, it was beyond whatever I could imagine,” Reddick said. “It’s going to be hard (to follow it up) but I’m someone who takes pride in continuing progress where I continue to raise the bar and raise the ladder.”

Reddick was drafted in the first round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2017 and totaled just 7.5 sacks in three seasons. Since then, including two more seasons with the Cardinals, one with the Carolina Panthers and one with the Eagles, Reddick has tallied 43 including the postseason

“My father, he always told me, ‘If you want to do anything in life, try to be the best at it,’” Reddick said. “I play football. I want to be one of the best in my position, one of the most decorated players. I’m here to set a legacy.”