It has been almost a month since Jeff Reed kicked a 33-yard field goal to help preserve the Steelers’ 30-24 win against the Dolphins.
Since then, the unrestricted free agent has seen his value rise if not skyrocket.
The reason: Reed’s fellow kickers have not exactly distinguished themselves during the playoffs.
Cincinnati’s Shayne Graham and San Diego’s Nate Kaeding, a 2009 Pro Bowl pick, went a combined 0 for 5 on field goal attempts in losses to the New York Jets.
The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, almost didn’t earn the right to get routed by the New Orleans Saints last Saturday because Neil Rackers duck-hooked a 34-yard field goal attempt near the end of a tie game against the Green Bay Packers (Arizona eventually won in overtime).
And the Dallas Cowboys, who changed kickers during the regular season, squandered six points in their 34-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Shaun Suisham who had been cut earlier by the Redskins after blowing a chip shot against the Saints, missed a pair of field goals when the game was still, well a game.
If the Steelers have been taking notes during the playoffs (and regular season), surely they have come to the conclusion that they must re-sign Reed, who made just over $1.43 million this season.
Reed missed two field goals in a 17-14 loss to Chicago in the second week of the season. But he showed that was an aberration by going 25 of 27 on field goal attempts the rest of the way.
And both misses were from beyond 50 yards.
Reed, 30, has been as clutch and reliable as any kicker in the NFL since he won the Steelers’ job in 2002 after an open tryout.
Add the elements of weather and kicking at least eight games a season at Heinz Field where one end of the stadium is open and Reed may be as valuable as any kicker in the NFL.
There is a trade off to bringing back Reed, as his short kickoffs didn’t help a coverage team that gave up four returns for touchdowns and cost special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky his job.
But the Steelers were first in the NFL kickoff coverage in 2008, and it’s not like Reed was booming his kickoffs into the end zone then on a regular basis.
If the Steelers want to improve their kickoff coverage team, they need to put better players on that unit — coach Mike Tomlin has called special teams time and time again “a legitimate phase of the game” — and not try to fix it with someone who might get a couple of more yards on kickoffs than Reed.
January 20th, 2010 - 11:52 pm
i will have to agree with the topic here. reed is a valuable asset to the team, but can be a liability withhis off field antics. its a shame such a clutch kicker can go out the same week after winning the game for you, to only get himself in trouble with the law. yes go out and have fun, spend the extra cash you have in your pocket, but like i tell my son, have fun, but be respectful of others, and in what you do, don't have fun off someone elses misery. plain and simple if you don't want to be a role model, at least be one who can look yourself in the mirror at the end of each day.
January 21st, 2010 - 1:19 am
Skippy has to stay, and it will have to be a tag that keeps him here. If he hits the market you don't think a kicker friendly place like San Diego or Dallas will offer him big money?
They have to tag him, or he's gone.
January 21st, 2010 - 7:22 am
It's media people like this who need to step back and hope Mike Tomlin doesn't read what they wrote.Reed's two missed fg in the chicgo game cost the game and possibly a play off spot.....remeber just one of the foolish losses and we were in.
His kick off leave much to be desired ,the team let 4 returns in 5 games in for a td ,therefore every kick should have been thru the end zone,therefore no return and no td,but look at where his kicks end up mostly @the 30,I think we need a new kicker
January 21st, 2010 - 8:31 am
Skippy needs a long-term deal in my opinion. I would rather have someone who is mostly money from 45 yards and shorter FGs than someone who booms kickoffs but then chokes when you need 3 points. We will simply have to get better at return coverage(like 2008) and deal with Skippy's short kickoffs. Can Sepulveda put that robo-leg of his to good use on kickoffs?
January 21st, 2010 - 8:44 am
It was not Reed who lost the game in Chicago or any other game. It was the defense not holding up in the 4th quarter and the inability to run the ball. You are in trouble if you have to count on the kicker to win games. We should be scoring TD's not kicking field goals from the red zone.
January 21st, 2010 - 9:59 am
They have to sign him or have tryouts at Heinz field. That is the reason he has been there since 2002. Oh and by the way you have to tackle the kick returner to keep him out of the endzone!
January 21st, 2010 - 10:02 am
His off-field antics are not that big of a deal. There is always a risk of this with any pro athlete. One way to fix that is a contract clause as to not lose any money in case of a suspension. His kickoffs are not that bad. They need guys that can tackle, then there would not be a problem with returns. Would a better kicker have won the game for Dallas last week? No. For San Diego? Maybe, but there were way too many mistakes to blame only the kicker.
January 21st, 2010 - 10:13 am
Plain and simple;KEEP HIM.
January 21st, 2010 - 10:35 am
I lean towards resigning Reed as he is good at kicking FG's at Heinz Field. If it were not for that, I'd probably be 50/50 on him coming back or going. The short kickoff thing and off the field stuff bothers me; however, I do agree that he is a pretty clutch FG kicker and seems to be a good team mate, so, like I said, I suppose I'd keep him if possible.
January 21st, 2010 - 10:43 am
Why not carry two kickers? Ten NFL teams carry two...one for FGs and PATs, and one for kick offs. Dallas's second kicker put 27 KOs in the end zone (Reed had 3) and most of the rest were within the ten yard line (closer to the five yard mark). I'm sure the Steelers could find a second kicker in the later rounds of the draft at a bargain price. OR, if Piotr Czech can consistently kick into the end zone, keep him as the second. I know the Steelers signed Czech to the off season roster, maybe as competition for Reed, but he missed a few field goals in the preseason at Heinz last year. As for Reed's off-field antics...he's young and I'm sure he'll grow up.
January 21st, 2010 - 11:04 am
I'm not fond of Reed's weak leg. I also remember, lets see, was it the Bears game, I;m not real sure, that he blew not one but two realitive easy field goals that very well could have won that game. That was at home at that. Also I think he has a big tough attitude and mouth but doesn't back it up on the field. he is the absolute worst tackler of all kickers. He had at least two great chances of stopping two of the kicks that were returned for TD's and he looked liked a scared sissy. And he had the nerve to say that it wasn't as bad as it looked on tape. HEY REED, READ MY LIPS, THE TAPE DIDN'T LIE. He also is stupid off the field. The Steelers could do worse, but it is quite possible that they could do better. I really don't see other kickers that much anymore missing chip shots at PNC and if you really need say a 55 yarder, forget it.It is not like its impossible for another kicker to be consistent there. I say, It doesn't hurt for the Steelers to at least consider other options.
January 21st, 2010 - 11:14 am
This isn't about Reed, but is Tomlin "NUTS" considering hiring the forty-niners ex special teams coach who finished 32nd in return yard average. tomlin was an idiot for hiring L. as a special teams coach. He was third from the bottom as a special teams coach of a 100 + division I college teams. Tomlin needs to stay away from his bad coaching buddies and hire some real coach. Com'on man.
January 21st, 2010 - 11:18 am
Reed needs to be put through some tackling drills in camp if he is kept by the Steelers. He gets paid to be a football player.
January 21st, 2010 - 11:44 am
This is a bit of a mixed bag for me. If we were just talking about field goals there is no one in the league I would rather have kicking at Heinz Field. Having said that there are few kickers I like less for kickoffs. Not only does he not kick it deep but effort after the kick is terrible. Not that we should have to depend on a kicker to make a tackle but when you kick it short it does come in to play. What I would like to see is to resign Reed but I without giving him top dollar. Then in a dream world we get someone else to perform kickoff duties. Not that I want to carry two kickers. So I guess what I am saying is cowboy up Daniel.
January 21st, 2010 - 1:00 pm
Like was mentioned in this very article. How did Skippy get his job? Where did he come from? Oh ya, he wasn't even in football when the team tried him out. He walked in off the street. Kickers are out there. You can't tell me out of ALL those colleges there aren't any decent kickers. It's time for the Steelers to bring in new, young blood to this old team. If they do sign him, this image of a class organization goes out the window. They'd be in the same boat as Dallas & Cincy, signing players with talent despite their off the field problems.
January 21st, 2010 - 1:34 pm
I think the Steelers need to specialize a little. Why not find a guy who can drill it on kick offs and keep Reed for field goals? I don't think anyone has any complaints about Reed's field goal kicking and that is supposed to be the difficult part. I believe there are a few teams out there using a guy to just kick off. I don't believe a guy who just did that would cost a fortune. It may at least be worth a preseason experiment to see if it helps. I do know this much if : If Sep 2010 starts out with a bunch of kickoff return touchdowns then there will be a lot of angry towels twirling around Heinz Field.
January 21st, 2010 - 1:59 pm
First, this isn't about whether they should resign him, he's a good kicker and worth keeping, it's whether they can afford to. Like every season, they have a lot of key players to sign or possibly let go and if they can save a million or two to sign Hampton for instance and feel they can replace Reed through either the draft or a FA, then that's jsut how it goes. Remember people, they found Reed working on a dairy farm, so it's not like they can't find another just like him, or even better.
Second, it's not Reed's fault they lost to the Bears. Yes, he was a factor but so was the rest of the team that day. Besides, a Super Bowl champion shouldn't have to rely on the kicker to beat the Bears, or most of the other teams they "lost" to this season either.
Third, Reed isn't young, he's 30 years old for pete's sake, so if he hasn't "grown up" by now, he's not going to suddenly figure it out and become Saint Skippy between now and forever.
January 21st, 2010 - 2:03 pm
You can't say that the Defense lost the Chicago game alone. It is very true that Jeff Reed missed two field goals and we lost by a total of 6 points. The Defense only gave up 17 pts...their 2nd lowest total of the year. If you think that we're in trouble if we have to rely on a kicker to win a game then don't have a kicker at all. I would be all for that myself...but its not the nature of the game. Sometimes you have to hand it off to your little guy and pray. More often than not, Jeff comes thru. That day, he didn't.
He's still my pick as a field goal kicker but his kickoffs were painful to watch. You knew it was going to suck...you just didnt' know how bad until the ball dropped. I think he nailed one to the 15 one time. usually it was around the 7.
January 21st, 2010 - 2:16 pm
I checked the stats and they weren't as bad as I thought...but still not good.
G GS Blk Lng FG Att FGM Pct XP Att XPM Pct Blk KO Avg TB Ret Avg
2009 16 0 0 46 31 27 87.1 41 41 100.0 0 81 59.8 3 74 24.3
2008 16 0 0 53 31 27 87.1 37 36 97.3 0 79 62.6 9 68 19.3
Compared to last year, he lost about 3 yards of distance on every kickoff. The returns averaged 5 yards more. So, compared to the year before, we lost a little over 8 yards on every kickoff. (Almost 81 1st downs.) Ouch.
January 21st, 2010 - 3:09 pm
Tony: He never missed two at home which is Heinz Field BTW, not PNC. Reed has also stepped up and made some tackles in his career. While I am sure the two you saw this season are an embarrassment even to Reed, to call him "sissy" is off the mark. Say it to his face if you think he is a sissy....
Kraig: If you try to keep Reed at less than top dollar he will be gone to San Diego or some other place.
Why not look at the roster spot we keep for a long snapper and combine that with a kick off specialist position. Having a kick off specialist who can also long snap (it can't be that hard to learn. Mike Webster and Dermotti Dawson seemed to grasp the science of it.) that would be a good answer and provide a reasonable back up in he event he PAT/FG specialist got injured or vice versa. The back up Center could be a back up for the long snapper. Now the roster spot previously wasted on a long snapper could be wasted on two positions!
January 21st, 2010 - 6:14 pm
I would say resign Reed he is one of the best kickers in the NFL, inside the 45 but they need some one to kick off. Why cannot the punter kick off the guy has a strong leg so why not try him all he has to do is kick it 5 yards into the end zone, this would solve the special teams problem.
January 21st, 2010 - 6:25 pm
The Steelers need to sign Jeff Reed and find a kickoff specialist who can boom the ball in to the end zone on a consistent basis. I laughed at Jerry Jones when he drafted David Bueller and carried two kickers on the roster. It paid off very nicely for them. Pittsburgh would have been in the playoffs if they had a guy forcing touchbacks regularly.
January 21st, 2010 - 6:27 pm
two kickers on the roster...and a returner? one or the other has to go. i saw a lot of returns poorly covered because lil joystick got blown up. he's got some magic with the ball in his hands, but dude cannot tackle. though i did see him drop someone early in the season...maybe they just need to coach joystick up on the coverage side.
January 21st, 2010 - 9:40 pm
OK...Reed is not Perfect...But Who Is...
He is a reliable kicker and his success has a lot to do with the mental side of the game...He rarely chokes or gets rattled and has a short memory...
Effective Kickers are a Premium and we have one...
It amazes me how after a difficult season, the overall tone is to get rid of Tomlin, Arians, Reed, Farrior, Clark, Taylor to name a few...
Since the Defense struggled...Maybe we should get rid of the Legendary Dick Lebeau as well...
The Steelers will thoroughly assess the team and address their needs both short & long term...
Age and Depth on Defense are a concern and will be addressed in the draft...
January 21st, 2010 - 11:35 pm
The last time we had extended Reed with a contract, we had Rob Bironas come into trainging camp and completely out performed Reed. Bironas with a big time leg and one of the best in the league now at field goals and kick offs is now with the Titans. Bironas should have made the team that year and Reed should have been cut, however, we gave Skippy his contract and Management cut ties with Bironas. I am tired of seeing us keep the "safe pick" around. (Chris Gardocki ring a bell?) Take a chance on a big leg kicker that can give your defense/team an advantage with field position. Reed isn't the only consistent leg out there, remember we did find him in street clothes back in 2002. Move on front office and put the money elsewhere.
January 22nd, 2010 - 8:38 am
Reed has been solid and way above "Decent"- especially at Heinz. It's great to know when your team goes to kick a FG, the kicker is money. That is so much more important than 5-10 extra yards on a kickoff. Plus, name another proven clutch kicker that is available -- Search results: None !!! To say it's time to bring in new talent and fix what isn't broken in a FG kicker is ignorant at best. No offense intended - have a good one.
January 22nd, 2010 - 3:18 pm
I agree that a kicker who can put it in the end zone makes it a lot easier on the special teams coverage. And even if they decide to run it out, the coverage has a better chance to tackle behind the twenty yard line. I think the Steelers can afford another kicker who can put it deep into the endzone, and keep Reed for field goals. He is really good at that most of the time.He needs to learn to tackle, or at least push the ball carrier out of bounds.
January 22nd, 2010 - 4:57 pm
Reed has hit his last 16 post season FG's...That is HUGE. Given what I have seen in the playoffs this year - they need to resign him.
I would like to see if Sepulveda or someone else can do kickoffs - The guy from the Cowboys is impressive
January 22nd, 2010 - 9:44 pm
id call reed a sissy to his face.he got beat up by a female cop!he swung she whipped him.reed lost us 2 games this season.chicago first 2 misses in a 17-14 loss....then the very next week he missed an instrumental shot at a victory.he was so bad tomlin didnt want to kick off in the packer game and got lucky ben was calling the plays not arians.
in essence we would be in indianapolis instead of the new york jets if not for 2 keynotes....bruce arians and jeff reed.factual our d didnt handle situations well but when you lose the best safety in football youre defense is obviously to surrender more yards but we had games won that were cost by stupid mistakes and bad play calling.
keep hampton. the rest can go play for new england.
January 23rd, 2010 - 8:12 am
Reed is working on his tackling problem in the off-season. He is going to a hypnotist who is making him think the kick-off/punt returner is a paper towel dispenser.
January 23rd, 2010 - 11:12 am
Keep Quadzilla! 40something inch thighs!! so he likes to drtink beer on the Southside and gets a liitle excited when he can't dry his hands at Sheetz...he is worth every penny we pay him... the last thing we need is a nervous, rooky, kicker..I think the Steelers should sign him and Reed will stay a Steeler in 2010, provided he and his agent doesn't get greedy..you know the Steelers will offer him a decent contract but there are always other teams who could and would pay more. I believe Reed knows how good it is to be in the Steeler locker room on Sundays..Hopefully he works this off season on getting better not just getting money. Actually it's all on him!
January 23rd, 2010 - 12:36 pm
has anyone seen the latest. i thought cowher was gonna be coach of the bills but chan gailey is. you know he is talked about being such a good offensive coach but why hasn't he been in the playoffs why didn't he last long in dallas, why wasn't he given the chance to coach the steelers when he was there, anyway, my thoughts on jeff reed is this. sign him for field goals only, sign someone else for kickoff duties. reed can not kick period.
January 23rd, 2010 - 12:37 pm
he can smash towel dispensers, but long kick offs he can not!
January 23rd, 2010 - 11:43 pm
i`ve been a steeler fan since ``72``.the best kicker the team has had is reed.since ``03`` i`ve never watch reed kick live,i leave the room ,because he is automatic.i always watch the replay of the kick.steeler headquarters in cincinnati all say find a way to keep reed.
January 24th, 2010 - 9:05 am
I think the Steelers need to look for a kicker that can kick the ball deep and still kick field goals. I've seen some college kickers come to Heinz field against Pitt and do well. There were also several in the bowl games I wouldn't mind seeing in Pittsburgh. Get them now and get them in Heinz field and learn to be successful there.
January 25th, 2010 - 1:52 am
Sign Reed. Not that many good kickers in the league. Tomlin: I like what you "say". However you talk a good game but the results leave a lot to be desired. Get rid of Arians if you want to succeed. Noll and Cowher had the receipe for success run first and pass second. Control the clock. You can't do that unless you run. Let your defense win the game. As much as it pains me, the Jets are on the right track. DEFENSE wins CHAMPIONSHIPS. Yes they came up short this time but they had a rookie qb. ( does 2004 ring a bell?) Can you argue with the success Noll and Cowher have had? The game has changed but not the receipe for success.
January 25th, 2010 - 11:00 am
Hey, Reed is Mr Automatic on FGs.
But I'm guessing Reed is GONE!
January 25th, 2010 - 12:37 pm
The best field kicked this year was by the Saint's kicker yeaterday, right down the middle, never wavered. Reed is a good kicker but down the middle is not a trait of his. You have to hold your breath because you know he's going to try to hit one of the uprights.
If the Colts would have beaten the Jets in week 14, do you think the Steelers would have played them yesterday, I think so and so did the Colts.If the Colts win the Super Bowl there should be an * put at the end of the Colts name and Super Bowl 44 as the Candy Ass bowl so everybody will remember that the Colts played in this Super Bowl and were afraid to play the Steelers in the championship game.An undefeated season and Super Bowl victory should be the highlite of all football teams, ask the Miami Dolphins.
January 25th, 2010 - 2:00 pm
All I have to say about this one is... of course we keep him. What else do you suggest we do?
January 25th, 2010 - 3:05 pm
Does anyone know if they've made a serious effort to see if Sepulveda can learn to kick off? He is a better athlete and has a stronger leg.
January 25th, 2010 - 3:11 pm
I hear and understand what people are saying on this post about his ability to kick in our home stadium. But look, he can't be our kicker forever. We have to eventually get a new one. And there are going to be other people that are going to learn the nuances of kicking there.
His other liabilities definitely don't make him worth the money he will have to be paid to keep around. He knows the character expectations that the Rooneys expect. And if he had one off-field incident, I wouldn't think twice about it. We all make a mistake every now and then. But having multiple incidents having a bad reflection is not excusable (when you get paid that kind of money, there is more to it than just kicking). As has been brought up here, his lack of willingness to tackle is also inexcusable (that is also included in your job requirements that you are being paid for). He says he's being paid to kick...he's wrong. Once the ball is kicked off, everyone on the kicking team is a tackler for sure. I'm not trying to say he has to necessarily take everybody head on. But he should make a legitimate attempt to at least slow a runner down or force them out-of-bounds. And lack of ability for kickoffs has already been detailed enough on here.
To those on here that say that a team shouldn't have to rely on a kicker (a.k.a., the Bears game) is rediculous. No team is going to blow everyone out every game. There are always going to be a couple of games a year where you need the kicker to finish the game off...and that again is their job and what they are paid to do. As mentioned on here, you don't think NO thought their kicker was important and necessary last night?
So I would first like to see the Steelers check to see if there are any really good prospects coming out of college this year. If not that or any other veterans available, then they should try to sign him to just kick field goals (and at a corresponding adjustment to his pay). And if that is the case, I like the idea mentioned here to try Sepulveda on kickoffs (he has absolutely no issues about tackling people). It is not sensible to use yet another roster spot (for a special teams expert) to have someone as a kickoff and long field goal specialist.
January 25th, 2010 - 3:53 pm
sign Reed immediately. Steelers do not need anymore menial distractions. they need a line that can protect thier most important asset, Big Ben, and run run run. Although I am not a fan of the steelers per se, I am impressed with your underestimated QB. You are nothing without him.
January 25th, 2010 - 6:41 pm
I have met Jeff. He is a Nice Guy and was very humble when we spoke. They need to sign him but they also need to spend a roster spot on a kicker that can put the ball out of the end zone on Kick Offs.
Also, they need to use Steph Logan as a 3rd down back --get rid of Parker and Moore and sign/draft a Big RB to spell Mendenhall.
It would help the whole "O" if BEN can change the CADENCE too. The "O" LINE needs to stay lower on the blocks too and ENGAGE SOONER!!
January 25th, 2010 - 8:37 pm
thats funny jake. lol,,,,,,,,,
January 26th, 2010 - 11:50 am
Definitley have to keep REED....He is clutch! It is hard to adjust to the conditions at Hines Field and even though he slacks on kickoffs, he has been clutch for the Steelers as far as field goals and extra points. All he has to do is take some hitting lessons from Sepulveda and we will be fine. Go STEELERS!!!!
January 27th, 2010 - 8:02 am
Reed will not re-sign with Steelers, bad character guy. Cezk will be a good replacement.
January 27th, 2010 - 11:11 am
Skippy stays or goes! Football doesnt end with the taught of losing the kicker! This is th NFL and thats means there is always going to be jobs open. Have nothing against skippy but would like to see a kicker that can kick touch backs. That would help our poor special-teams coverage!!! But we will see what happens and live with the choices that they make. I really think we have bigger problems than skippy! Dont you think BIG CASEY AND CLARK our bigger problems than REED????? Lets see what happens and go with the flow. LATER STEELERS NATION!!!!! Everything will work out
January 27th, 2010 - 1:02 pm
yes FG kickers were underperforming in the playoffs. But did you notice that all the playoff teams had place kickers that kicked the ball deep on Kick-offs? There were no kick-offs returned for TD's and a lot of Touchbacks. Steelers ST will be even worse next season if Reed is still kicking off for us. What good is a feild goal if the same kicker gives up feild position (or TD's) to the opponent that results in a score. GTFouttahere Reed. Thanks for the (sic)memories!
January 27th, 2010 - 3:54 pm
he his a sissy and i would say it to his face