New York Jets Interim Head Coach Praises Haason Reddick Ahead of Debut

Jeff Ulbrich has been pleased with what he's seen from Haason Reddick before his New York Jets debut.

Aug 3, 2023; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick during practice at Novacare Complex. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The New York Jets have added some reinforcements over the past few weeks, perhaps what they need to get their season going.

At 2-5, there's little room for error moving forward for the Jets. If this team wants to make the playoffs, they must win games when they're clearly the better team.

That'll be the case on Sunday against the New England Patriots.

With a few new faces recently, there will be questions regarding New York figuring out against the Patriots.

Their newest one is Haason Reddick, who they traded for during the offseason. Reddick finally reported and is set to make his debut at a time when the team needs him.

However, after not playing or practicing with the squad, it might be tough to get him up to speed.

Despite that potentially being a big issue, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich was pleased with what he saw from his Pro Bowl edge rusher.

"(He) had a good week of work with us," Ulbrich said Friday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. "He's just such an experienced guy. He's been in so many systems, so to pick up ours wasn't super difficult for him. He really put in the extra time to learn it and, physically, he looked good out there. So, we're excited about what he'll contribute to our rush group."

Ulbrich will always stick up for his guys, so take his words with a grain of salt. Still, it's a somewhat promising sign that he took the time to learn the system.

When the Jets are at their best, the defense steps up and makes plays. That hasn't happened recently, perhaps due to the offense struggling.

But with Reddick now being used, New York can rush four, which Ulbrich believes is when his defense is at its best.

Holdouts happen, but none are typically as long as Reddick's. It's disappointing that it got to this point, but that's the name of the game. He won at the end of the day.

"It's a challenge, for sure, getting guys integrated, getting up to speed," Ulbrich said. "But at the same time, I think it's exciting, too. I've never been through this. I don't think anybody's been through this."

As Ulbrich touched on, there should be some excitement. Look, the Jets haven't been good. It's been as bad of a stretch for the franchise as ever.

However, this group is talented and if they ever gel, could turn things around in a massive way. Reddick will only add to their massive expectations.