Ed Reed didn’t think he would be leaving the Ravens this offseason. After signing a deal with the Texans, the 11-year NFL veteran has a new view on the business side of the NFL.
Reed told 105.7 The Fan in Baltimore that leaving the Ravens organization was the hardest thing he’s ever done in his life. Reed said he believed the Ravens might be able to keep the core of their Super Bowl-winning team together, and when he realized that wasn’t happening, it was a huge blow.
“I didn’t expect this, Reed said. “Did I want it? No, I didn’t want it. But do I understand it? Yes I understand it.”
When the thought of retirement crossed the 34-year-old’s mind after winning the Super Bowl, his heart told him not to bow out.
“My heart really felt that we had an opportunity to do some special things because we had a core of people,” he said.
But business and numbers overshadowed Reed’s hopes of staying with his beloved black and purple, giving him a candid glimpse into the mind of a professional athletic organization.
“I honestly didn’t know the true nitty-gritty of the business side of it. I didn’t know all the possibilities that would happen and transpired the last few weeks or so. I didn’t know all that would happen the way it did.
“That put things in perspective as well to let you know the team is kind of going in a different direction. Not rebuilding but in a sense rebuilding, to make different moves and it just wasn’t economically the best situation for me.”
“I wanted to be in black and purple but at the same time I am 34 and the league knows that,” Reed said. “When I say the league I mean every one, every team and everybody. Situations tend to stir things the other way. For businesses and the NFL when players start to get a little older they tend to think differently about them. Though my heart is different and I feel different.”
Reed has certainly handled having to sign with another team with grace and class, but his love of the game and love for his team were not enough to keep the Ravens from making what they thought was a sound business decision.
Interview transcription via SportsRadioInterviews
