Long-time Jets fans will get an unwelcome reminder Sunday of just how long it has been since their last winning season when they face old friend Todd Bowles and the Bucs in Tampa (1 p.m., FOX).
Every time the camera cuts to a stone-faced Bowles on the sideline, it’ll be a reminder of his first season as Jets coach when he led them to 10 wins, and then lost the final game of the season to an already eliminated Bills squad to miss the playoffs, and then won just 14 games over the next three years, because the expression on his face never changed.
But it won’t be the only familiar face that should come with a trigger warning. That’s because Sunday’s critical game for the 0-2 Jets is also brings the chance for revenge that no one is talking about.
Anyone remember a former cornerback named Bryce Hall?
Sorry. The other revenge game no one is talking about.
Edge rusher Haason Reddick gets the chance to face his old team.
Yes, that actually happened.
Reddick was available via trade because he wanted a new contract the Eagles wouldn’t give him. The Jets needed an edge rusher, so they traded for him, and traded away John Franklin-Myers to clear cap space. And then Reddick refused to show up to work without a new deal, and the Jets refused to negotiate with him until he showed up. And by the time Reddick finally did show up, for Week 8, the Jets had already fired their coach and knocked themselves out of playoff contention with a 2-5 start.
Reddick looked like a shadow the dominant pass rusher he been just before joining the Jets: he had just one sack and three quarterback hits in 10 games, after averaging 13.5 sacks and 24.5 QB hits in each of the first two seasons.
Reddick joins a long list of high-profile veteran free agent signings that worked out terribly for the Jets, including last year’s heralded addition of left tackle Tyron Smith, the 2023 pickup of running back Dalvin Cook, and of course, running back Le’Veon Bell in 2019.
Now, Reddick will get the chance to go up against his former team. And it might not be surprising to learn that Reddick has almost already matched his total 2024 Jets production in two games with the Bucs with one sack and two quarterback hits.
The Jets have a stout offensive line, so perhaps they will be able to contain Reddick – he turns 31 next week and has yet to get back to the elite form he showed with four straight seasons of double-digit sacks before the Jets signed him. And we don’t know if he’ll be facing Justin Fields or Tyrod Taylor at quarterback – Fiels suffered a concussion in Sunday’s loss to the Bills, and must clear the league’s protocol before having a chance to play Sunday. Jets coach Aaron Glenn said Fields likely would have to be able to participate in Friday’s practice for the coach to feel comfortable playing the quarterback on Sunday.
But we do know that Jets fans would be wise to prepare mentally for the infuriating possibility of Reddick impacting the game.
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