Haason Reddick Named NFC Defensive Player of the Month

He becomes the fourth linebacker in team history to win a monthly award for defense and the first since 2014

Slowly but surely, Eagles pass rusher Haason Reddick is being recognized.

The former first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals who was trending toward bust territory as a linebacker was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December/January. It is the first time Reddick has received the award.

While still technically listed as a linebacker, Reddick is more of an edge rusher, though he drops into coverage on occasion.

He led all players with eight sacks and added five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery from Weeks 13-18. He was the only player with multiple sacks in three games over the season's final six weeks.

He is the first Eagles linebacker to win the monthly award since Connor Barwin in November 2014, and just the fourth Eagles player at his position to do so. In addition to Barwin, the other two were Mark Simoneau (Oct. 2003), and Jeremiah Trotter (Dec. 2000).

He is also the second Eagles player to earn a monthly award, joining quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September.

Reddick, who had 16 sacks in 17 games, hinted last week that a huge portion of his success this season was due in part to returning to play for his hometown team across the river from where he grew up in Haddon Heights, N.J., before moving on to star at Temple University.

He said he would get more into what role his hometown had in helping him produce a career season.

Reddick is the second player ever from Temple to earn a monthly award, joining kicker Brandon McManus, also a product of suburban Philadelphia, who was the Special Teams Player of the Month in October of 2015.

Still, Reddick is probably a longshot to win the NFC Defensive Player of the Year award, with San Francisco’s Nick Bosa probably the front-runner there.

Reddick may not even be named an AP All-Pro first-teamer, since Dallas’ Micah Parsons gets most of the hype at his position.

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.