Ravens’ Reed Expected to Start Season on PUP List
The Baltimore Ravens are seen as one of the National Football League's Super Bowl favourites this year but their season may start without a key component of their feared defence.
The team opens up their season against another scary defence in the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football”. However free safety Ed Reed will likely be watching that game from the sidelines.
Reed, who is recovering from offseason hip surgery, wasn’t even sure if he would come back for another season. He claimed to be 50/50 on whether he would come back or not. Recently, he claimed that he was looking for a new contract from the Ravens which means he’ll likely play or another year or two.
He informed a Baltimore radio station that he would enter training camp on the physically unable to perform list and would likely stay there heading into the regular season. That would place doubts on whether he’d recover in time for Week 1.
If Reed is unable to compete at the start of the season and he’s still on the PUP list, he’ll not only sit out the opener, but he’ll also have to miss the first six weeks of the season as per the NFL rules state. His return would be delayed until October 24th when the Ravens take on the Buffalo Bills.
"I'm going to be on the PUP list for a minute, and I'm not letting them take me off like they did last time without telling me," Reed said in an interview. "I'm just rehabbing. It's a slow process. I'm going to get out there when I feel good. I can't give you a date. I don't know."
He acknowledged that he'll likely remain on the PUP list when the season starts.
"Of course, definitely. It's going to be challenging opening up with the schedule we have whether I'm there or not. It's leaning that way more than anything. Hopefully, we can weather the storm. We have great players around us to get through those games and be able to make a run," he said, according to the Carroll County Times.
Reed’s priority is his health first and after undergoing major hip surgery this offseason, he is not going to risk anything by coming back too quickly.
"I had to reconstruct my whole hip. It's not something where I can say, 'I'm going to be back.' I'm not coming back until I'm well and ready. I don't care what anybody says. I know I can play football. I'm going to take my time with this and be sure," Reed said.
Reed has been a force for the Ravens defence throughout his whole career. He is a six-time Pro Bowl selection (including last season), was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and has 46 career interceptions with 11 defensive touchdowns (nine INT returns and two fumble recoveries).
Starting the season without him may be very difficult. Reed is one of the league’s best playmakers and he is a future hall of famer.
Missing him for a whole six weeks may put a dent in the Ravens armorr but the team does have many other weapons and will be able to overcome it and still start off well. It’s just that it’s a lot better to have all your weapons in place from the start as the team heads into the season being picked by many to not only win their division, but to go to the Super Bowl.
If Reed can be there, he’ll be there at the start of the season, but safety has to come first and if the Ravens want Reed to play to his potential, he’ll have to be 100%.
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