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Jarran Reed takes massive pay cut to join Chiefs

NFL: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals Billy Hardiman-USA TODAY Sports

Jarran Reed was the first true cap casualty of the Seattle Seahawks. Other players have departed and the team has been outbid on others still, but Reed marks the first time that Seattle tried to make a contract decision to save money and it didn’t work out.

Now, Jarran Reed will sign with the Kansas City Chiefs to play alongside Chris Jones and Frank Clark. Last I checked these guys won’t be blocking for Patrick Mahomes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the less important defensive side of the line is quite something.

Reed was on the second year of a $23 million deal, and had been slated to carry a $13.5 million cap hit for the Seahawks this season until Friday when he was released. Five million guaranteed is a huge step down, but obviously Reed is among the multitude of NFL players taking a one year deal in the hopes of landing a bigger contract once the league bounces back from the Covid-driven revenue decline in the future. Being surrounded by double-team worthy stars is a good way to boost them sack numbers back up, too.

Taking all that into account, the last line of Ian Rapoport’s tweet is gibberish. It was about the money, as Seattle approached Reed with hopes of restructuring. Failing to come to an agreement, he was released. A one-year step down with a loaded contender in hopes of a big payday next season is in vogue and that bizarre shot against Seattle’s management or culture was unfounded.

Reed seems to have left with thoughtfulness and respect for the organization. He was an absolute stud in his third year here, and proved last season that as a number two threat he is very valuable.

I wish him all the best unless it’s Seattle facing off again Kansas City in the Super Bowl, in which case I hope the defensive plane gets rerouted somewhere far, far away.