SportsNation Blog Archives
Ed Reed
At first, Ed Reed said that he wasn't 100 percent committed to playing next season. Now he's changing it up, stating that his goal is to play this season and possibly beyond. Reed has had injury issues since around 2009 or so, but has still played at a high level ever since. He is one of the best safeties in the NFL, but how much longer will that be true?
Reed's career future?
Throwing in Ed Reed's general direction over the course of his career has rarely worked out for anyone but the Ravens.
Should he hang it up?
Reed's health is an ongoing concern for both him and his team, but should it force him to retire?
Reed or Suggs?
The Ravens are already out one Terrell Suggs for next season; would Ed Reed be a bigger loss?
- Vote on conference races: Who was better -- Reed or Polamalu?
- Chat: Mike Sando on the playoffs, 3 ET
Nearly lost in the Colts' dominant victory over the Ravens was the announcement that safety Ed Reed is contemplating retirement. We'd be remiss in not giving this the full attention it deserves.
Reed was (and perhaps still is) a player who fully embodied the idea of a "playmaker". Amassing 46 interceptions in only six years in the league, he was nearly always a threat to score. Reed had six pick-six interceptions, and averaged more than 27 yards per interception return. It seemed sometimes as if throwing away from Reed wasn't entirely effective in keeping him from taking one back; he was everywhere at once. Reed's last game provided a bittersweet coda to his career; he fumbled one long interception return and had another one nullified by a penalty.
If Reed decides to retire, it's a fair bet that opposing quarterbacks will offer up thanks to the football gods -- that is, until Troy Polamalu returns from injury.
“Reed should retire cause of his health and family, his injury's are way too serious. Selfishly, we need him out there though, hope he gives us 4-5 more years...
” -- spraven882
“This has been going on for three year's he is not going any where his neck was hurt in 05 so that tells you he will play as long as he can make play's. If you notice he can not tackle he dives and hopes he rapes up. I'm not critisising Reed I love him he is a Raven but he will play next year and this is not a new injury. If the Ravens get wr he will defintly be back next year. Number 20 will be worn by Ed Reed.
” -- T-SIZZLE555223
When a player who signed for $41 million in guaranteed money earlier in the year is sitting out practices and talking about normal "wear and tear" during the first week of August, well, it's not the kind of thing that will help comparisons to Reggie White. But Albert Haynesworth returned to practice earlier this week after sitting out a few rounds of training camp, averting the kind of health-care crisis that would capture D.C.'s attention more than anything on Capitol Hill.
Aside from Clinton Portis, Haynesworth is the player SportsNation feels the Redskins could least afford to lose to serious injury, no small feat of public recognition for a guy who plays on the defensive line. But if Haynesworth is the Redskins' best defensive player, is he the league's best defensive player? He's not a pure pass-rushing force like DeMarcus Ware, or a shut-down corner like Nnamdi Asomugha, but it's tough to put a guy who closes down the middle of the line anywhere other than No. 1.
- Brian Orakpo will provide a pass-rushing complement to Haynesworth.
- Defense is one reasons Redskins fans feel better about their team these days.
“Haynesworth is a Beast.. I don't know if I've seen one Person make such a diffeence on the defensive side of the ball, since Reggie White.
” -- galyssa427
“you guys paid way to much for big al watch out he's going to get injuryed right away.
” -- titans_freak23
The NFL season is right around the corner, and in its own way, so is the end of the decade -- in geologic terms, it's practically yesterday. So even though there's technically one more season to play before we hit double digits in this century, it's never too early to start looking back (which is also decent advice for Matthew Stafford when he plants in the pocket this season behind the Lions offensive line).
ESPN.com's NFL bloggers have been putting their minds to the task of sorting out our current decade, with the Patriots topping the Power Rankings, Ray Lewis and Derrick Brooks among those leading the all-decade defense, and Tom Brady edging out Peyton Manning as the all-decade quarterback and MVP.
- Today's chat: All-decade chat extravaganza begins at 1 p.m. ET
- These guys weren't threats to make it; rank the NFL's most overrated players.
“how can the patriots possibly be considered in ANYTHING?!!? THEY CHEATED...let me spell that out C H E A T E D. NO team in NFL's glorious history has EVER been caught cheating. It's too bad the NFL just swept this under the rug to save face instead of call them out for what really is...what a discrace, not a champion...
” -- RIPredskins21
“Manning Should be MVP! What the heck he has 3 NFL MVPs this decade and Brady 1.....Doesn't that right there tell you Manning is more Valuable? Plus Matt Cassel proved that the Pats are a decent team without Brady, making Brady not as valuable. I wonder how the Colts would do with Sorgi as starter?
” -- pucrepeap
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