Last season, Reed became the 50th player in team history to appear in 100 games for the Seahawks, and this year he will hit another significant benchmark, his 10th season in the NFL. Reed is unquestionably one of the key veteran leaders on the team—only Johnathan Hankins, DeMarcus Lawrence, Leonard Williams and Jason Myers have been in the league longer, and none have spent as much time with the Seahawks—but despite being a player now called upon to mentor young linemen like Byron Murphy II, Reed doesn't feel that much different than he did when he was the youngster learning from the likes of Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril.
"It came really fast," Reed said of his 10th season. "I still feel like I have plenty more left in the tank. It's Year 10, it's definitely been a long time, but the game has just slowed down tremendously for me. I still feel young, even though these guys out here are a lot younger. It feels good, man. I feel really good, I feel refreshed, I'm healthy, thank God, and I just keep staying on top of what I'm doing."
When it comes to playing at a high level into his 30s, Reed said the key is "just me working on being the best version of myself. I just want to make sure I'm available for the guys when they need me, making sure that my game is top tier, and make sure the plays I get, I make everything count. That's the main thing I'm focused on now."
And in addition to the production Reed brings, including 4.5 sacks, 45 tackles and 15 quarterback hits last season, he also helps set a tone for the defense, knowing when to be serious and when to make it fun.
"I learned from the best, right?" Reed said, referring to Bennett and Avril. "But coming in the building, that's just me. You can't come in here with a down attitude. We spend a lot of time in this building, you've got to just take it on the chin and take it what it's for. So I like to have fun. I'm a bubbly person, believe it or not, I'm not mean. I have fun with the guys in the building, we're always joking and playing. It just makes the day go by faster. Then when we're on the field, you've got to love what you do, I love football. So going out there, it's my sanctuary. So I go out there, talking gets me through the day—you can ask the guys, I talk all through the individual, I don't think I shut up enough. I talk all the time in the meeting room too, I've got to tell myself to be quiet sometimes, to be honest. It just keeps it fun, it makes the day go by and makes work a lot easier."