Have we seen the last of Ed Reed?

[TL24x7]

Most fans and media members expect Ed Reed to return for the Ravens’ 2010 season. Even his coach expects the former Defensive Player of the Year to be back patrolling the middle of the Ravens’ defense.

“Ed Reed is playing, as far as I know,” John Harbaugh said during the NFL scouting combines. “I think Ed is one of the greatest competitors in football. I’ve said I think Ed’s going to play because I think Ed’s going to do everything he can to play. If he’s physically able to play, he will play.”

In other words, Harbaugh really doesn’t know.

Here’s more proof…

“Right now, my assumption is he’s going to be able to [play]. If that changes or Ed changes his mind, that’s obviously his prerogative. He hasn’t told the team that he’s not going to play and medically we don’t have any reason to think that he won’t right now.”

From what I’ve been told, one of the reasons Harbaugh doesn’t know if his All World free safety is returning is because Reed himself can’t answer the question, “Should I stay or should I go now?”

Reed is a somewhat quirky guy and like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates, sometimes with No. 20, you just never know what you’re going to get.

Sometimes he’s in a good mood.

Sometimes he broods.

One day he is thinking about a contract extension.

The next day he’s contemplating retirement.

Now I don’t mean to make light of Reed’s situation. Here’s a player who is really not a very big guy yet has played with reckless abandon his entire life. Players he’s responsible for, those he’s asked to deliver shots to when they cross the middle of the field – players like Alge Crumpler and Antonio Gates, outweigh him by 70+ pounds. Think about that!

More on why Reed may not return HERE

[RavenScallywag]

My first instinct was to post saying that we should be ok because we saw that Zbikowski can fill his role without too much drop off...

But that's not the right thing to say...It's true that Zbikowski is a good player, and if Reed chose to walk away, I wouldn't be expecting us to run out and reach for a S in Round 1. But really, the sentiment there should be that Ed has truly done a lot for the Ravens and whatever he decides, the Ravens will be just proud of what he accomplished here. That injury is really kind've undefined, so it's hard for doctors to tell him he'll be safe playing football or not. Most probably tell him they can't guarantee his safety, but he was out there last season hitting just as hard as always. And consider especially this was only one year after Landry took a knee to his helmet which caused a spinal concussion and luckily only knocked him out for the season. Can you imagine Ed playing ever week, knowing one wrong hit and he might not walk again? THAT is courage, a lot more than Vick has displayed and Vick won the Ed Block award (Yes I know, only one per team and ours went to Landry for coming back from the spinal concussion)

The only thing I wish we could get before he hangs it up is a SB ring. Ed deserves one, maybe seeing what we've done with our receivers, he'll stick around for one more year to see if we can make it there.

[NC Raven]

Agreed -- Ed Reed doesn't owe the team, the fans or anyone else anything by playing another year. In the playoffs he really showed how incredible he still is, even with the injuries he's had.

We have a much better defense with him in there, despite what some of the stat-heads try to say. You can see the difference -- Peyton Manning and Tom Brady still see Reed in their nightmares. Even a gimpy Reed gives them fits. He is still a major difference-maker out there.

But I would have a very difficult time feeling good about the 2010 season, regardless of how it plays out, if the result is a permanent, debilitating injury to Ed Reed. If he comes back, I hope it's because he's gotten cleared of this injury. If he comes into the season with no improvement to the injury, I'd just as soon see him walk away.

[4G63]

But I would have a very difficult time feeling good about the 2010 season, regardless of how it plays out, if the result is a permanent, debilitating injury to Ed Reed. If he comes back, I hope it's because he's gotten cleared of this injury. If he comes into the season with no improvement to the injury, I'd just as soon see him walk away.

I agree 100%. Ed is a baller but Zibs did pretty damn good when he filled in. I want Ed to have a great life when he finally decides to hang up his cleats and I don't think he "owes" the Ravens anything as he's been a spectacular Safety for us!

[ravenfever_com]

I would hate to see Ed go, however to have been able to witness a Hall Of Fame Safety play for the Ravens his full career has been awesome! I am not sure if his shoes can be filled by another safety in the same way, however at one day we will have to have change.

I would rather see a healthy Ed Reed that can walk up to a stage to go into the HOF then what could happen with one bad hit on the field.

We as fans of the Baltimore Ravens have been lucky to have #20 as our player! He owes us nothing and has always been a model player in the NFL!

[Rxdoxx]

Ravenfever says a lot of what I would say.

What we lose with Zibs over Ed is an unequalled playmaker, the likes of which you have to go to the HOF to begin to find comparisons.


Poll should have a 3rd choice saying something like expect him to try and lucky if he makes it through his last season.

It is a real source of enjoyment for us having watched Ed on the field, from the quadrafecta against Brunnell to the double undressing of Pennington.

We all wish Ed well and want to see him with a quality remainder of his life. Hate saying it but I wish he would retire now even though the hole it leaves can only be patched, shoes never totally filled. Ed has given us far more than we could have dreamed of when we first heard "with the 24th pick in the 2002 draft the Ravens select...."

[BArellano]

Ed doesn't owe us fans or the team anything, and vice versa. He's been an amazing player for us all these years, and he's been very well compensated, and treated like a god by the fans. I'd call it even at this point.

From a personal stand point, I hope that he does whatever is best for him and his family. He happens to be my all-time favorite athlete, and I want nothing more than to see him play for many more years, but I will never blame him if he hangs it up now.

On the field, he's not going to be replaced. I think Zibby can be a good/very good starter for us, but we can't compare or expect him to be anything like Ed.

[Jeremiah W]

I think it is 80/20 that we see a red #20 running around in training camp.
Reed may even show up for some OTAs. Unless his health is worse than it was last year, I doubt he would walk away while still in his prime and in position for a ring. The Ravens know how to use the over 30 guys, but Reed was out there returning punts last year and knocking the snot out of rookie RBs. I do not know what kind of pain he is dealing with, but he is still playing better than anyone I have ever seen at FS with incredible range and anticipation and better than elite Wr hands. For a while it looked like he was not very willing to hit, but when he did recommit to the hit, he did so with a vengance. Mostly a knee or ankle chopper, he also went upstairs on some guys without HtH contact and forced fumbles. Guys like Dawkins and Woodson played a lot longer and more physical. If he gets the OK from the doctors I really doubt Reed walks away.

[StingerNLG]

It's highly unfair to compare Zibs to Ed Reed. It's unfair to compare 95-98% of the safeties in the league to Ed Reed.

He's going to leave on his own terms, and I'm ok with it if he decides to hang it up and retire. He has been a phenominal Safety for us for a long time.

And personally, while ANY other person we'd bring in would be a step down from Reed, lets not forget Zibs had 3 picks in 4 games, and a Frank Walker penalty nullified a 4th one.

But again, the comparison is not fair.