National Football League: Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed not retiring
False Alarm everyone, Baltimore Ravens’ safety, Ed Reed is not retiring, far from it in fact. He is actually trying to get a new deal with the Ravens and planning to play for at least another year. In an interview with a local Baltimore radio talk show, Reed let it all out and among other things, told listeners that he had already talked to the Raven’s regarding playing another season.
Reed was thinking about retirement at the end of last season. This probably means he talked himself out of that. If his decision to continue playing at 31 and with all the beating his body has already taken was not enough of a shocker, the fact that he is asking for a sweeter deal could not, but have left your jaws dropped to the floor. Granted Reed is an amazing player, one of the best in fact but in his own words, he has recovered only 35 percent from Hip Surgery. He is unable to train as of yet and even if he manages to recover the remaining 65 before the game, how would he fair with his injuries? How long could he hold out? A raise at this time Ed? Although Reed is saying that he would not have asked if he was not playing but let us not be too quick to judge because that is not all Reed said.
Reed said that with the recovering hip it could be “October, November and December” before he is in “full-throttle game shape.” If he himself acknowledges that he could be missing out on that much of the season, what will the pay raise mean then? Under his existing contract, Reed gets 6 million dollars a season. Injuries are a part of the game and you do not get a pay cut if you get injured playing for a team. But you also do not get to ask for a pay raise. If Reed cannot play till December, he will only be there for 5 games. If there is a reason why a player should be paid more than 6 million dollars for 6 or something games, I at least have never heard one.
It does seem though Ed knows he is not getting a better deal while he is handicapped the way he is. “If the negotiations continue and we can do some things in the process, I'm going to welcome it,” Reed said. He added that he is not going to be pressuring the Raven by calling them again, “my focus is to get myself back to 110 percent,” he said. “I’m not making it a big deal,” he said adding that it was something that needed to be taken care of.
Reed missed four games due to the hip injury last season but he returned later that season playing another three games, including two playoff games. Reed said that he still has quickness and if he could play for the Raven’s he will ‘smart it up a little bit’ by using his mental abilities more than his physical abilities. He might just have to consider the physical aspect of his game that is currently suffering. A player like Reed could possibly even make do with a smarter instead of harder game play. Reed has an instinct for Football and if anyone could deliver a pay raise worthy performance with injuries, it would be Ed Reed.
His statistics in the NFL attest his worth. With 46 interceptions for the Baltimore Raven’s, and 150 yards for interception return in a single game, Reed is the leading and most successful safety the Ravens ever had. Reed also holds the NFL-wide record for interception when he returned 108 yard, beating the previous record (his own record) by two yards. Deservingly, the intercepted ball and the Jersey he wore at the time, both found their way into the NFL hall of fame. With 458 tackles, 13 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions, Reed has left a permanent mark on the NFL.
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