Free Agent Primer: Will Seahawks Re-sign Veteran DT Jarran Reed?

Seahawks defensive tackle Jarran Reed takes the field during pre-game introductions at Lumen Field.

After narrowly missing out on the postseason despite finishing with 10 wins in their first season under coach Mike Macdonald, the Seattle Seahawks have plenty of roster questions to address in coming weeks and months as they aim to improve their roster with the goal of returning to the playoffs in 2025.

With the new league year set to begin on March 14, Seattle will have 10 players scheduled to become unrestricted free agents along with two restricted free agents and four exclusive rights free agents, while veteran starters such as quarterback Geno Smith and receiver DK Metcalf could be due for contract extensions. Complicating the process to re-sign and extend players, general manager John Schneider has his work cut out for him creating financial flexibility before free agency tips off next month, as the franchise currently sits more than $10 million over the salary cap.

Over the next several weeks, using statistics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, I will break down each and every one of the Seahawks' unrestricted free agents by revisiting their 2024 seasons, assessing why they should or should not be re-signed, breaking down an ideal contract, and making an early prediction on whether or not the player will return in 2025.

Kicking off the series, Jarran Reed once again enjoyed a fine season as a key cog for Seattle’s defensive line. As he approaches his 10th NFL season, will the respected veteran continue to be part of the team’s defensive plans moving forward?

Season in Review

Excelling in Macdonald’s defense as a flexible chess piece in the trenches, Reed logged 479 snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle and 155 snaps as a 5-tech defensive end and also saw action as a nose tackle and out wide, producing 45 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and five tackles for loss while starting eight out of 17 games. Along with contributing 18 stops and missing just one tackle for a much-improved run defense up front, he finished second on the Seahawks in quarterback pressures (48) behind Leonard Williams, posted a quality 10.7 percent pass rush win rate, and tied for the team lead in batted passes (two), continuing to bring the juice as an interior rusher. He also remained an invaluable leader on the field and in the locker room, taking on the role of mentor for a young defensive line group including Byron Murphy II, Derick Hall, and Boye Mafe.

Why Seattle Will Re-sign Him

Turning 32 in December, Reed showed no signs of slowing down in his ninth NFL season while playing more than 800 defensive snaps, particularly as a quarterback hunter from the interior. Finishing with the second-most pressures in a season for his career, he ranked 15th among all defensive linemen in that category and though he saw a decline in sack production compared to 2023, he pitched in 10 quarterback hits to go with 4.5 sacks to sit just outside the top-10 at his position group. When he couldn’t get to the quarterback, he did an excellent job of throwing his paws into passing lanes to knock down throws, earning himself a 7.0 Pass Rush Productivity rating from PFF.

Stout at the point of attack against the run while lining up in numerous alignments, Reed racked up 25 solo tackles while only missing one, consistently bringing down ball carriers when he got his hands on them. His 2.6 percent missed tackle rate ranked 10th best among qualified defensive tackles and his 18 run stops ranked a respectable 31st out of 80 players. As both a pass rusher and run defender, his value remains quite high for a player heading towards his 10th season and the Seahawks would be challenged trying to replace him as a complete package on and off the field.

Why Seattle Will Let Him Walk

Production-wise, Reed didn’t take a step back aside from his sack total nearly shrinking in half, and he more than made up for that regression with his raw pressure and quarterback hit numbers. However, bringing him back for another season could be detrimental to Murphy’s development from the standpoint that the veteran would be absorbing some of the snaps that the former Texas standout would have without him. Since both players excel as 3-tech defensive tackles, trying to find snaps for both of them became tricky at times last season with Williams understandably receiving the bulk of the snaps at the other defensive tackle spot, and Reed would have to be accepting of a lesser role upon his return to open up more opportunities for Murphy to see the field.

Given his age, Reed likely won’t command a massive contract on the free agent market, and his number of suitors may be impacted by the tread on his tires. But even if he seeks a one or two-year deal worth around $4.5 million per year similar to his previous contract, the Seahawks have significant salary cap concerns to address and with a deep, talented defensive line crop headlining the incoming 2025 NFL draft class, the team could save substantial cap room by opting to roll with a younger option on a rookie contract rather than take on a cap hit north of $4 million for a player who likely won’t be a starter in 2025.

Ideal Contract

One year, $5.2 million

Prediction

Under John Schneider, the Seahawks have typically preferred youth over aging veterans, but defensive tackle has been an exception to that rule over the years. Players such as Tony McDaniel, Ahtyba Rubin, Kevin Williams, and most recently Al Woods played at a high level for the team well into their 30s and the front office has been more than happy to re-sign defensive linemen with 10-plus years on their resume to short-term deals with lower cap hits. This keeps the door open for Reed to return for an eighth season with the organization, especially with the free agent market likely to be lukewarm for the position with the incoming influx of defensive line talent in this year’s draft.

With Murphy set to take on an expanded role next to Williams, Reed will be hard-pressed to push for 800 snaps again next season, and if he’s wanting to remain a starter, coming back to Seattle may not be the best situation for him. But a smaller workload could prove to be a positive for him at this stage of his career. Kept fresh with fewer reps, he may in turn be a more efficient pass rusher, turning more of his pressures into sack production.

Based on Reed’s comments after the season ended, the veteran would love to stay in the Pacific Northwest to cap off his career, and the Seahawks should be motivated to strike a deal with defensive line depth crucial to success in the NFL. While he may test the market to see what else is out there, he offers the most value to the team that drafted him in 2016. Expect the two sides to reach a one or two-year pact worth similar money to his previous deal as he returns with hopes of guiding the franchise back to the postseason and continues to build a case for future Ring of Honor consideration.