Getty Jarran Reed lost millions of dollars by requesting his release.
Jarran Reed being released by the Seattle Seahawks was one of the more surprising moves of the NFL offseason. New details continue to emerge on what took place in Reed’s final days with the Seahawks which led to his release.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Reed lost millions of dollars by requesting his release from the Seahawks after the team was unwilling to sign him to an extension. The Seahawks approached Reed about restructuring his contract to help the team create cap space for this offseason. When the Seahawks declined to sign Reed to a new extension in the process, the defensive tackle requested to be released against his own agent’s advice, per Garafolo.
“The Seahawks kept it real with him, and Jarran Reed said you know what, if that’s the case then I’m just going to go elsewhere,” Garafolo said on Good Morning Football. “Now, some people questioned, did he know he was giving up money? Yes, he did. His agent explained it to him fully and said, ‘You are going to lose millions of dollars here.’ He said, I don’t care. I don’t care because I want to go to a place where I feel the love back to me…So, he willingly gave up millions of dollars to go to the Chiefs to play there and reset his value.”
Here is a look at Garafolo’s full comments on Reed’s saga with the Seahawks.
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Reed’s Agent Reportedly Advised the Defensive Tackle to Agree to the Restructure
Reed was entering the final season of a two-year, $23 million contract he signed in 2020. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Reed’s agent Andy Simms advised him to take the restructure, but the defensive lineman did not want to do it without a contract extension. Reed ultimately signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs which can be worth as much as $7 million, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“The proposed restructure would have reduced Reed’s base salary to the veteran minimum of just under $1 million, but he would have received the rest of his compensation in the form of an $8 million signing bonus,” Henderson detailed. “Teams commonly use this type of conversion to free up cap space by deferring cap charges to later years. …Reed’s agent was in favor of the restructure, according to a source. But Reed was insistent on getting an actual extension from the Seahawks, believing he had earned one after becoming a prominent piece of their defense. When the Seahawks declined, Reed asked if they would promise him a new deal down the road, which they did not.”
Reed’s Best Season Came in 2018
Reed’s best statistical season came in 2018 when the defensive tackle notched 10.5 sacks and 50 tackles. After a down 2019, Reed had 6.5 sacks and 38 tackles last season, particularly coming on late after the addition of Carlos Dunlap.
“So J Reed wants to feel respected and be with a team that is committed to him, even if it means not making as much money in 2021,” The Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar noted on Twitter. “Must be assuming he cashes in next offseason.”
The Seahawks now have a sizable hole in the middle of their defensive line and signed Al Woods to help fill Reed’s void. It would not be a surprise if the Seahawks added another defensive tackle in the draft or free agency.