KC Chiefs FA Profile: Figuring out Jarran Reed’s next chapter
By Jacob Milham
Why bring him back?
If Kansas City retains Reed, it is because of his second-half performance.
Reed exhibited quick decision-making in the season’s second half, as he became more comfortable in his role. When defensive end Melvin Ingram came to Kansas City, Reed and Jones played well off each other, both plugging gaps and reading the backfield. Blockers had to account for Jones back on the inside, leaving Reed with room to work.
Some players just seem to hit another gear in the playoffs. Reed is one of those players. He was amongst PFF’s best-graded Chiefs in both the AFC divisional and conference championship. His fourth-quarter sack of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen arguably kept Kansas City in the game. He ended the Bills’ drive, as Buffalo only trailed by two points.
I got some All-22 this week! Couldn't get it for a better game
— Nate Christensen (@natech32) January 25, 2022
First Bills drive. KC's defense played fine outside Hitch. I thought Jarran Reed played an excellent game on Sunday. Bills run Counter read opposite flowing side. Reed reads this well, disengages, and makes a play pic.twitter.com/r1ZsjG0j35
Reed came to Kansas City as primarily a pass-rushing player but exhibited some run-stuffing chops up the middle. In Week 13 against the Denver Broncos, Reed earned a 90.3 run defense from PFF, amongst the league’s best that week.
If nothing else, Reed was consistent throughout this season. He appeared in all 17 games, recording at least a pressure in 12 of those games. The power of availability cannot be ignored at the NFL level. Plus, the Chiefs may be looking at a surge of young talent on the offensive front. The steady, veteran presence of Reed could help any team.
Why let him leave?
As a free agent, you never want the cons to outweigh the pros. That is the case for Reed though.
Reed posted his lowest sack and takes for loss totals since 2019 while playing seven more games in 2021. Reed, much like former Kansas City safety Daniel Sorensen, stood out as a bad player on the historically bad Chiefs defense. Ultimately, Reed finished with a 46.7 PFF grade. While advanced analytics do not tell the whole story, Reed deserved that grade.
Also, Reed is entering his age-30 season, a dreaded mark for many NFL players. The physical decline was apparent in 2021, with more to come in 2022. Data shows that defensive tackles, on average, hit their physical peak at age 28. Reed is clearly on the wrong side of that curve.
Reed shouldn’t command much on the open market but might demand more than he is worth. Reed was very much a rotational-level player in 2021, a sad fall from his previous game-changer height. Reed just never panned out, either for what fans hoped for or the Chiefs paid for.