Ed Reed has a new team in Houston, and if you listen to him closely, a new outlook on the business side of football. Reed fully expected to return to the Ravens, and when he didn’t, he was shocked.
Reed told 105.7 The Fan that leaving the Ravens was the hardest thing he’s ever had to do in his life, but that now “he fully understands the business of the NFL now.”
“I didn’t expect this. Did I want it? No, I didn’t want it. But do I understand it? Yes I understand it,” Reed said, via Sports Radio Interviews. “My heart really felt that we had an opportunity to do some special things because we had a core of people. 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.”
“Oh man, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever went through in my life. I had to be able to put a lot of things to the side to be able to get through the business side of it man. I dealt with the business for a long time and I tried my best to give good advice to guys and they’re decision-making when they go through a process like this and keeping their job. There are so many people who supported me, so much love and so many people just texting me who I know are true fans I know and will always support me. I know there are people that are disappointed. I wanted to be in black and purple but at the same time I am 34 and the league knows that. 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. I really will miss playing in Baltimore. It’s like retirement man. It’s like I retired from Baltimore as a Super Bowl champ after 11 years. I wouldn’t want any other game to be a loss in a Baltimore uniform, especially without 5-2. It was special man, it was special for a long time.
Reed as always is class personified in regards to how he handled having to sign with another. All he can do now is lend his big game ball hawking experience to a team that seems to be a few players short of their own Super Bowl.