It is painful to say, but the Steelers need to let kicker Jeff Reed walk after this season. Following Sunday\’s win versus the Cleveland Browns, Reed was placed under arrest and given multiple citations after a drunken confrontation outside a North Shore bar. It would be one thing if this was the first such incident for Reed, but sadly it is not. Reed was also cited in February with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after throwing a tantrum over an empty paper towel machine at a Sheetz convenience store. Reed is a know party animal and shows up anywhere there is booze and a party. He has been photographed many times during these parties and these photos easily surface on the web as well.
It is unclear at this point if any action will be taken by the NFL or head coach Mike Tomlin, but if Reed is forced to sit for a game another kicker will be needed to be signed to take is place. Heinz Field is not a picnic for kickers, especially as Winter sets in, and it could end up costing the Steelers a close game if a free agent is brought in to kick instead of Reed. It will be a sad day if it comes to that.
Reed is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season and many speculate he could be given the franchise tag. With all of the potential distractions and turmoil he causes, this would be a foolish move considering his latest history. He owns the team’s second-best alltime mark for career field goal percentage and ranks second on the team’s alltime scoring list, but enough is enough. He has already missed a few key kicks during this season and it is time to start thinking about moving past him.
