The 2016 second-round pick’s second stint in Seattle has gone well, and he’s been rewarded with a new contract.
If you’ve been following my writing for a while, you know that I was totally against Jarran Reed’s return. In my opinion, the impression he left in his last year in Seattle, with overpayment and suspension that led to his release, which he even announced on social media before the team did, lost any chance of getting a trade.
In the years he spent with the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, he did nothing that inspired confidence. However, I was wrong (and I’m always happy when I’m wrong and Seattle does well) and Reed was one of the most important players on the team on and off the field. He became a leader after important leaders left and managed to be Seattle’s best DL in 2023.
This led the Seattle Seahawks to give him another contract and he will probably retire as a Seahawk. He is one of only 52 players in franchise history to appear in 100 games for the team, ranking 43rd in team history (105 games played).
Contract
Reed and the Seahawks reached a 3-year, $25M deal. Excellent contract structure.
$4.5M signing bonus; $10M total guaranteed, [$2.99M base salary (gtd), $5.49M ($2M guaranteed at signing for injury insurance and $30K per active game];
$1M in incentives for playing time and sacks;
If my reading is correct I believe we have:
2025: $5M
2026: $7.5M
2027: $9.5M
So realistically, it’s probably a two-year deal with $1.5M in dead cap in 2027 (which will be Reed’s age-35 season).
Stats
Via PFF
72.8 Tackling Grade (1/61);
70.6 PFF Grade (19/61);
73.7 PFF Pass Rush Grade (15/61);
Reed is coming off a strong season with Seattle, recording 4.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss , 15 quarterback hits and a forced fumble while playing in all 17 games. His 680 snaps were the second-most among Seattle defensive linemen, behind Leonard Williams.
Jarran Reed ranked 15th among all iDL players in pressures last year with 48. He ranked just below Milton Williams (54), Quinnen Williams (54), Vita Vea (53) and Ed Oliver (49), and he did it on fewer pass rush snaps than any of them. Reed had a higher True Pass Rush Snaps Win% than Jalen Carter.
Jarran Reed on the field
I was catching other players’ cuts and there’s something common about the defensive plays. Reed is always close to the action. Even though he’s a veteran, he doesn’t hide from the game and fights for it snap after snap. It’s an incredible mentality.
Reed is a very strong player, but his aggressiveness doesn’t usually bode well for OLs. He comes out of the snap well and looks like he’s just moving a kid, easily getting the OG out of his way.
With his eyes on the QB, he continues hunting. The Vikings were going to try the double-team, but with the arrival of Leonard Williams, they have to abandon that plan. Reed uses, in addition to his strength, a rip move to get away and get the sack.
Just like in the previous play, if the coverage wasn’t good, this sack wouldn’t happen. He uses a good rip move in the stunt and even though he doesn’t succeed initially, he keeps fighting and finally gets to the QB.
This is not a common alignment. Notice when he comes out of the snap, he threatens the B gap to open space for Leonard Williams. With the pressure coming, the QB tries to escape, but Reed closes the circle and makes the sack.
The Rams think about the double-team but with the threat of Ernest Jones on the blitz, they leave Reed in the 1v1. Watch how he manipulates the OL’s hands to get him out of his way and get the tackle.
Final Thoughts
Reed may not have the flashy numbers of a top interior lineman, but his impact in the locker room is nearly as important as his role on the field. He’s also become a mentor to rookie first-round pick Byron Murphy II, who will enter his sophomore season with a chance to build on that relationship.