Redskins release tight end Jordan Reed, per reports

The Redskins have reportedly released veteran tight end Jordan Reed, ending a tenure that promised greatness, but ultimately fell short.

The Washington Redskins haven’t wasted any time getting rid of value-sapping contracts this offseason. Last week, Washington cut cornerback Josh Norman and wide receiver Paul Richardson, freeing up almost $15 million in cap space for the 2020 free agency period, as well as roster spots at two important positions.

This week, with the NFL’s new CBA now in place, and with free agency growing closer, the Redskins aren’t losing pace, and earlier today, they cut ties with one of their longest-tenured offensive weapons. Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Washington Redskins have officially released tight end Jordan Reed.

Reed, who turns 30 years old in July, was drafted by the Redskins in Round 3 of the 2013 NFL Draft. He immediately took on a role as a dynamic offensive weapon for Washington, but didn’t reach his peak until 2015, when he helped Kirk Cousins break out onto the NFL scene, catching 87 passes for 952 yards and 11 scores. Reed broke the top 70 on the NFL’s Top 100 Players list after his 2015 season, and earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2016, after following up the previous campaign with 66 catches, 686 yards, and six scores.

Reed was supposed to be entering his prime at that point, but injuries derailed his career after 2016. In 2017, Reed only played in six games, logging just 211 yards on 27 catches. In 2018, he bounced back, but still couldn’t stay on the field consistently, and in 2019, a concussion suffered in preseason, one of many sustained by Reed throughout his career, kept him from hitting the field entirely.

Overall, Reed missed 47 of a possible 112 games in his career with the Redskins, and now he faces an uncertain future as a free agent. Given his injury history, Reed’s best choice would seem to be retirement, but he cleared concussion protocol recently, and may still want to take one more chance with a contender. It remains to be seen what kind of market Reed would fetch as a free agent; at his best, he was a game-changing player for Washington, but given his age and injury history, any financial investment is a risk for NFL teams.

With Reed’s release, Washington, of course, rescinds their own investment toward Reed. By cutting the veteran tight end, the Redskins save $8.5 million in cap space, with just $1.8 million in dead cap, according to Spotrac. It’s a tough move to make, regarding a key figure over the past half-decade. But it needed to be done.