Haason Reddick expects to play in Week 1

The Eagles had one more practice on Monday before they get down to their 53-man roster, and Haason Reddick wasn’t on the field but did speak to the media afterward. The veteran recently underwent surgery on his thumb, but revealed he expects to be ready for Week 1.

He confirmed that he did NOT break his thumb, and that it was just a ligament injury.

“I’m progressing really well.”

Reddick explained that he messed up his hand during practice, but said it wasn’t really bad which is why he was able to finish practice. But then afterward, he got it looked at because of the swelling around it.

“That’s when we figured, ‘Hey, better to go get surgery now. Make it stable for the season. Just protect it,’ and then we had enough time to get it done. That way I could get back for Week 1.”

The edge defender acknowledged that he’ll have to wear something on his hand to help protect it, and they’ve been working with some different options. As for how it might all affect his ability to pass rush, Reddick said that he’ll be able to get some live reps soon and they’ll see how it goes.

Reddick admitted that his thumb plays an important part in pass rushing, noting that everything for him is about using his hands. He’ll have to adapt in the coming weeks in order to play at his highest level.

Still, Reddick said that he’s ready physically and has been able to stay in shape since the surgery. He’s taken more mental reps since he’s not on the field, which has been beneficial and given him some different insights.

The defender has also spoken to guys like Landon Dickerson and A.J. Brown who have gone through similar injuries over the years. Reddick is eager to see how it’ll affect things with live reps, but he’s been adjusting his whole career and he’ll adjust to this, too.