Ed Reed is Latest Player Seeking New Contract
Many NFL players are looking to cash in on colossal contracts this year with the possibility of a lockout in the 2011 season. The Baltimore Ravens now have a situation on their hands as their safety ball hawk Ed Reed wants a new contract.
Reed said in January that he was 50/50 on returning this year due to major hip problems. The safety underwent surgery in April and he recently said he is about 35% recovered.
You have to wonder how many more years Reed wants to play with his injury problems. Could the desire of a new contract mean that he wishes to make a long term commitment to the team?
“I'm not making it a big deal," Reed said, according to Baltimore media outlets. "I think it needs to be taken care of."
Reed has been an amazing player ever since the Baltimore Ravens drafted him out of the University of Miami.
The Ravens have not yet responded to Reed’s comments about a new contract. Reed said if he didn’t want to play any longer, he wouldn’t ask the Ravens for anything.
"I'm not going to ask the Ravens about anything if I'm not going to play any much longer," he said. "I appreciate the opportunity that the Ravens have given me. I'm not about to ask them for anything if I'm not going to be playing. My focus is to get myself back. I'm coming back for at least for one more year."
Reed’s current contract has three years remaining on it in which he is due to make $20 million.
The safety has had an excellent NFL career. He has been elected to six Pro Bowls and was named the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year. He also owns the record for the longest interception return (108 yards in 2008). In 2004, perhaps his best season, he accumulated 358 interception return yards over nine picks.
Reed owns several franchise records with the Ravens. He has 46 career interceptions and the most interception return yardage in a game with 150. His spectacular play also has extended to the post-season. In seven playoff games, he has seven interceptions. He also has a career total of 13 touchdowns.
Reed's career isn’t just about NFL success, but this “ball hawk” was also a collegiate star with the Miami Hurricanes. He won a National Championship with the Hurricanes in 2001 and was seen as a vital player in the championship winning team.
At Miami, Reed was a three time All-American. His best season was the championship winning season in which he led the nation with nine interceptions for 209 yards and three touchdowns.
Reed has several school records at Miami. He holds the record for career interceptions with 21, the most interception return yardage with 389 and interceptions for a touchdown with five.
Reed has earned his reputation throughout his football career and if he retired today, he would finish with a hall-of-fame caliber career. It appears though that his career will continue this season.
He hopes to be ready for the season opener against the New York Jets, but due to his injury, he will probably miss part of the season.
“I believe with the hip, it could be a realistic thing where it could be October, November and December," Reed said. "We don't know. It's going to be dependent on how I feel and what have I done to get back into full-throttle game shape."
The Ravens would miss Reed’s services should he miss part of the season. However, they do need him in proper health and this season will probably tell us how much time Ed Reed has left in his football career.
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