Heading into the 2025 offseason, there were some Seattle Seahawks fans (myself included) who wondered if John Schneider and Mike Macdonald would continue a rebuild of the defensive line, which had begun with the drafting of Byron Murphy II in 2024. Any such move would start with the departure of pending free agents like Johnathan Hankins and Jarran Reed.
Hankins seemed more likely. He was not as significant a contributor as Reed. He was older, and Seattle had a couple of young nose tackle options on the roster. But Reed was a different matter. Though overshadowed by Leonard Williams and the recent arrival of Murphy, the 10-year vet had been a valuable contributor since returning to the club in 2023.
In the end, Schneider re-signed both players. What’s more, Reed got a three-year deal valued at 22 million dollars, his biggest contract since the one he signed following his rookie deal back in 2020. Obviously, Jarran Reed still figured into the Seahawks’ plans.
As the 2025 season has played out, through no fault of his own, Reed’s future may once again be in doubt.
Could these be Jarran Reed’s final days with the Seattle Seahawks?
As Murphy has emerged in his second season, Reed was already seeing a small reduction in usage. Then, he was hurt in a Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders. His broken finger required two surgeries and a trip to the IR.
In his absence, Brandon Pili, Quinton Bohanna (who has now been released), and Mike Morris have combined to pick up some of the slack. But Macdonald has been leaning even more heavily on his hybrid edges. DeMarcus Lawrence, Boye Mafe, Uchenna Nwosu, and Derick Hall are all healthy at the same time, and Seattle is using their versatility to great effect.
This does not mean for one moment that Reed’s return won’t be welcome this season. He still plays a vital role in the relief of Williams and Murphy. But he’ll be 32 next season.
His overall play remains solid, but, at least according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), his grades have fallen to their lowest since his one season in Kansas City back in 2021. The younger backup linemen will all be available to provide depth. And Rylie Mills should be 100 percent.
Reed’s future with Seattle may be most closely tied to Mills, the 2025 fifth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame. He would have been drafted higher but for a torn ACL late in his college career. That injury has sidelined him up to now, but he is practicing, and his return window is open.
Reed’s window is open as well. One of the intriguing things to look out for in the final month of the season is how many snaps each gets, assuming both can return to the field. This could amount to an embarrassment of riches for Macdonald.
Mills looks the part of the rangy, athletic defensive ends that Macdonald had in Baltimore. Players like Nnamdi Madubuike and Brent Urban, who could both rush the passer and set the edge on running plays.
Reed can, and does, line up anywhere, but he is best on the inside, using his quickness to generate interior pressure. If Mills proves to be the versatile lineman Seattle thinks he can be, and if either Pili or Bohanna earns Macdonald’s trust as a reliable A gap tackle, Reed may end up as an odd man out on a very good defensive front.
Next year, he’ll carry a seven-and-a-half million-dollar cap hit. His dead cap hit if he were released would be three million. If he falls below Mills on the depth chart, that might be too big a number for John Schneider to carry.
I’ve underestimated Jarran Reed before. There’s a very real chance he will return for the playoff push and become a major force on the inside. But the clock keeps ticking. The Seahawks have younger players. If they prove their worth, the team may decide to move on from Reed, regardless of how productive he may still be.