Cardinals Won't Get Reunion With Former Top Pick

The Arizona Cardinals won't see a familiar face rejoin the party.

Oct 31, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets defensive end Haason Reddick (7) looks on during pregame warmups for their game against the Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images | Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

NFL free agency frenzy is fully underway, and the Arizona Cardinals won't be having a reunion with their former first-round pick.

According to numerous reports, Haason Reddick is signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a one-year deal worth $14 million, $12 million being guaranteed.

Haason Reddick has agreed to terms on a 1 year deal for $14mil with $12mil guaranteed with the Buccaneers. Deal negotiated by Drew Rosenhaus

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2025

Reddick was a potential candidate to return to the desert as the Cardinals have a hole at outside linebacker. Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon also had prior experience with Reddick coaching him in Philadelphia.

Reddick first entered the league as a first-round pick with Arizona in the 2017 NFL Draft, though he was utilized as an inside linebacker for majority of his stint with the Cardinals rather than an outside linebacker.

Reddick's last season in Arizona saw him net 12.5 sacks, though the damage Arizona did was far too much for a reunion.

After stints with the Panthers and Eagles, Reddick found himself traded to the Jets last offseason, which led to a hold-out that spilled into the regular season, causing him to only play 10 games in 2024.

There was some debate in Arizona as to whether or not Reddick - who is on the wrong side of 30 and still looking for quite a paycheck - would be worth the investment as the Cardinals look to turn the corner from pretender to contender in the NFC West.

With over $70 million in cap space entering free agency and six picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, many thought either the Cardinals or Reddick would pass over the opportunity for a reunion, and so too did the player.

A second turn may have made sense on paper, though it felt like a stretch to expect it to happen given the Cardinals had the opportunity to acquire him at the trade deadline and didn't pull the trigger - rather landing Baron Browning.

Browning was recently resigned by the Cardinals - you can read more about that here.