Jordan Reed, Redskins Agree to New Contract: Latest Details, Comments, Reaction

The Washington Redskins reportedly locked up star tight end Jordan Reed with a five-year, $50 million contract extension Thursday.

Stephen Czarda of the Redskins' official website confirmed the extension after Peter Schrager of Fox Sports first reported the news of an agreement. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com provided the financial details of the new deal. Pro Football Talk noted that the contract comes with $22 million in guaranteed money.

Pro Football Talk also reported the deal is worth $9.3 million a season with a base salary of $46.5 million over five years.

The announcement included comments from head coach Jay Gruden about the tight end's continued improvement:

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He can get a lot better, that's the scary part. He is a very natural gifted route running tight end with natural hands and great ability to run after the catch. As he gets bigger, more confident, bigger frame as he works out with [strength and conditioning] coach [Mike] Clark in the weight room, he's going to be more of an impact in the running game which is only going to help him also in the passing game with the play actions. So he's going to keep getting better and better, got to keep in healthy, he's got to keep working and great things will be on the horizon for Jordan.

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After the announcement of the deal, cornerback DeAngelo Hall took to Twitter to congratulate his teammate on his new contract:

Reed said he was "worried" about getting a new contract after the team signed cornerback Josh Norman to a five-year, $75 million contract in April and added he was relieved Washington "made it work," per Liz Clarke of the Washington Post.

Reed enjoyed a monster breakout campaign in 2015. In 14 games, he registered 87 catches for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns to lead the Redskins in all three categories. It marked a massive increase in impact after he tallied 95 receptions and three touchdowns in his first two seasons combined.

The 25-year-old Florida product is a prototypical modern tight end. At 6'2", 237 pounds, he's got the size to serve as a go-to weapon in the red zone and the athleticism to split out wide to create matchup problems. Figuring out how to utilize those talents is what allowed him to shine for Washington last season.

Grant Paulsen of Fox 5 DC further discussed how Reed helps the offense thrive:

Although the Redskins were forced to pay a hefty price—Schrager noted it's the second-largest tight end deal in history behind Jimmy Graham of the Seattle Seahawks—they couldn't afford to lose him after the 2016 campaign. He's too valuable to the offense.

Getting the deal done now will also help Washington focus on the quarterback position. The team used the franchise tag on Kirk Cousins, which gives the front office more time to determine whether he warrants a lucrative long-term deal of his own.

Reed and Cousins forged quite a connection last season. In turn, the tight end finally started showcasing his immense potential and now has a new contract to show for it.