KC Chiefs FA Profile: Figuring out Jarran Reed’s next chapter

During the 2021 offseason, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach brought in a big boost. Specifically, a 6’3″, 313 lbs. boost named Jarran Reed.

An East Mississippi Community College alumnus, Reed spent his first five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He started 72 games for Seattle, recorded 22 sacks, and had 194 combined tackles. He flashed game-changing potential in 2018 when he tallied 10.5 sacks and 50 combined tackles. Reed was held to 10 games in 2019, but the Seahawks re-signed him to a two-year, $23.5 million deal. The former second-round selection looked to be a big part of Seattle’s retooled defense going forward.

Yet just as quick as the ink dried, Reed was released from the team. Reed’s performance did not drop off far, since he started all 16 games and recorded 6.5 sacks. His sack total was second on the team, only behind safety Jamal Adams. Instead, the cap-strapped Seahawks could not afford to keep Reed and his $14 million dollar cap hit around for 2021.

Enter Veach. Five days after his release, Reed joined the Chiefs on a one-year deal worth up to $7 million. The prospect of Reed and defensive tackle Chris Jones bullying interior offensive lines was a fan’s dream come true. Plus, Reed was reunited with his former Seattle teammate defensive end Frank Clark. Overall, the fit made a lot of sense.

In the offseason, anything is possible. Reed had his ups and downs in Kansas City, but will he stay for another season?

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.

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.

Recommendation

Entering the offseason, Reed looked like a gift to Kansas City. The hope of Clark and Reed rekindling their 2018 magic was tantalizing to fans. There was hope for a solid, or at least improved, pass rush in 2021.

For Reed, Clark, and the pass rush overall, 2021 was anything but ideal.

Reed, at this point of his career, could go a couple of ways. He could try for one more long-term deal with a desperate team. He could serve as a bridge option for teams that need a temporary three-tech, getting paid more than his production warrants. Or, this could be a year where Reed isn’t signed until the summer. There are multiple options here.

With all of those options, one team that should not reach out is Kansas City. The Chiefs took a chance on him, paying Reed more than some players will see in their entire career. The experiment failed, plain ad simple. While other players deserve a second chance after down seasons, Reed used his second chance on Kansas City. Besides, he already said his goodbyes on social media. No matter how much Reed tries to deny it, it looks like both he and Kansas City are ready to move on from each other.

Prediction

Jarran Reed and Kansas City part ways after a single season.