RENTON — Jarran Reed didn’t really fall asleep until 3:30 a.m. By 6:30 a.m. on Monday, he was alert and awake.
He was determined to be early when he showed up at the Seattle Seahawks’ facility for the first time in six weeks.
“I was at home just waiting. I remember I cut everything off, TV, lights, and I was at home just popping my eyes open checking the time on my phone,” Reed said. “I was real excited to be back.”
Seattle’s powerhouse defensive tackle missed the first six games of the season while serving a suspension and the timing of his return couldn’t be better for a defensive front that has yet to have the kind of impact the Seahawks expected.
While Ziggy Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney both have had their moments, the team hasn’t seen the dominance it had wanted to get from the pairing. Seattle is hoping the return of Reed will finally be the tipping point.
“I feel like we all can help each other just improve on that,” Reed said. “We’re going to really work on that and we’re going to pick it up over the next few weeks.”
The fourth-year veteran was suspended for violating the league’s personal conduct policy for an incident more than two years ago during which police were called but he was not arrested or charged.
A report from the Bellevue, Washington, Police Department from 2017 recommended fourth-degree assault charges in an alleged domestic-violence incident but prosecutors declined to charge Reed. The city of Bellevue said it believed there was insufficient evidence to prosecute him.
“Stay focused. Don’t put yourself in situations for anything to be done,” Reed said of what he took away from being suspended. “Just learn and grow. Life is a learning experience.”
Seattle is hoping the on-field version of Reed will be ready to handle significant playing time against Baltimore on Sunday. Last year was a breakout season for Reed as he recorded a career-high 10 1/2 sacks rushing from his defensive tackle position while also playing well against the run. Reed was able to complement what Frank Clark was doing rushing off the edge. Now it’s Clowney and Ansah on the outside.
“He’s been such a key part of our defense, not just his play but his leadership,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “To just have that back and have him back to provide some pass rush, to provide some plays in the backfield is going to be huge for us.”
