Nothing Burger

Haason Reddick’s comments about his contract aren’t a distraction for the coaches or for the Pro Bowl pass rusher, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said.

Asked how he’s handling the Reddick situation following the edge rusher’s apparent frustration with being underpaid, Sirianni said he doesn’t “see there being a situation” a noted that Reddick has worked diligently to return from a calf injury and has been present at all team activities.

“He’s been here every day, working his butt off to get himself back to the practice field,” Sirianni said Thursday before the team’s fifth practice of training camp. “He’s engaged in meetings, engaged in practice, engaged in the training room. Hassan is a great teammate and great player. I’m glad he’s here.”

ITB PHOTO: Eagles coach Nick Sirianni holds his pre-practice press conference Thursday.

Reddick remained limited at practice with a groin injury. The team hasn’t said how the seventh-year pro sustained the injury.

Reddick, who had 16 sacks and an NFL-most five forced fumbles last year, echoed a sentiment of frustration with his contract after Tuesday’s practice.

Reddick enters the second year of a three-year deal he signed in free agency last offseason, a contract worth $15 million annually. His contract is currently ranked 16th among all edge rushers, per overthecap.com.

Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith, who had 14.5 sacks last year and shared the NFL lead in forced fumbles with Reddick, signed an extension worth $17 million annually and Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who has 35.5 sacks over the past three seasons, recently inked an extension worth $21 million.

The Eagles didn’t do any in-season contract extensions last year but Howie Roseman, the team’s executive vice president of football operations, hasn’t shied in past seasons from contract revisions and extensions. Reddick is likely high on the team’s list for future extensions.

After Tuesday’s practice, Reddick told reporters, “You see it. You all see what’s going on,” when asked if he felt underpaid following his first Pro Bowl season and third consecutive season with double-digit sacks.

Later, Reddick added: “Last year I’ve shown I’m one of the most elite, one of the best at what I do, top five. When you talk about Haason Reddick, if I’m not in that category for you, I have a question: Do you really know football?”

Committee or Nah?

Sirianni was asked if he’s trending toward a group approach to his running backs.

The Eagles have rotated all of their running backs on the starting unit, and Sirianni has praised Rashaad Penny, D’Andre Swift, Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon throughout the spring season and the start of camp.

Will he go running back-by-committee in 2023?

“You’re just looking for different things they can do,” Sirianni said. “You always adapt to what they do well, but you also want to be able to run [plays], and so you want be like, alright, who can do this job well and who can do this job and who can do this job well?

“Sometimes, it’s the same person that comes out, and sometimes it’s a committee. It’s a good thing when you have competition at a position, because it just brings out the best in everybody. But again, it can look anyway we need it to look.”

Wallace In The Mix

Fourth-year safety K’von Wallace, viewed as an afterthought to start, has seen first-team reps throughout camp.

Sirianni said the Clemson product, a 2020 fourth-round pick, is getting an opportunity to step into a more prominent role.

“K’von has done well for us on special teams over the past two years,” Sirianni said. “Now he’s got an opportunity. Theres a safety sot open and now he’s got an opportunity to be in the mix.”

The reality is that Wallace is probably just place-holding for rookie Sydney Brown, a third-round pick who recently worked his way into second-string reps.

Free-agent signing Terrell Edmunds and second-year pro Reed Blankenship are projected starters, but the Eagles have shown three-safety packages in camp, giving the veteran Wallace an opportunity to run with starters.

– Geoff Mosher (@geoffmoshernfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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