Coming off a 37-15 loss in Week 7 to the Steelers in which the Jets players and coaches said their energy could have been better, the team may receive a jolt after the addition of pass rusher Haason Reddick.
Reddick, who was acquired in April via trade with the Eagles, was placed on the reserve/did not report list on July 25. He ended his holdout Monday when he reported to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center in Florham Park.
"I had a brief meeting with him this morning," interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich said. "He's fired up, ready to get rolling with us. Got a few things from a physical standpoint that he's got to get assessed, but then he's going to be fully integrated in all we do."
The two-time Pro Bowler has been one of the league's most productive pass rushers over the last four seasons. His 50.5 sacks in that span are the fourth-most in the NFL and he's coming off an 11-sack season with the Eagles where he also had 38 tackles, 13 tackles for loss and 23 QB hits. He led the NFL with 5 forced fumbles in the 2022 season.
"It's another real productive speed element from our rush package," Ulbrich said. "Excited about adding him to the fold. As we all know, we're at our best when we rush four and he'll allow us to do that."
The former first-round pick (No. 13 overall) could have his first opportunity to rush the quarterback with his new team Sunday when the Jets play their division rival New England Patriots in Foxboro.
Ulbrich said it's too early in the week to tell if Reddick, who is one of seven NFL defenders in the past 10 seasons with a streak of at least four seasons of 10-plus sacks, will make his debut for the Green & White.
"We got to see what it looks like," Ulbrich said. "He's in great spirits, he says he's in great shape. Obviously, he's got to get out there and spend some time with us first for us to make that decision.
"As he starts to learn our defense and get integrated in what we do, he's probably going to be more of a pass rusher, but then, in time, he's a guy that has absolutely the ability to play every down and help us in every way."
Reddick, who has not been to 1 Jets Drive since April, rejoins the Jets amid a four-game losing streak. Despite being a relative stranger to his teammates, Ulbrich is not concerned about Reddick fitting into the locker room after his six-month hiatus.
"I'm confident that this locker room is going to embrace him with open arms," Ulbrich said. "I really am. They know what he provides us from a football standpoint and, in time, they're going to get to know the human being who's as high a character person in this in this league as there is."
Defensive tackle Solomon Thomas added: "Haason is going to fit right into this locker room. He's going to be a guy who plays hard, gets the quarterback down and a guy who creates turnovers.
"This isn't a hostile environment. No one has hatred towards him for the time he missed, no one is looking at him sideways. Ultimately, we're happy he's here. The past is a matter of the past. It doesn't matter how it happened. All that matters is that he's here and he's our teammate now. We're excited about that. We're happy for him, we're happy for this team and he's going to make this team better. That's really all that matters."
