Ed Reed To Return Next Season

January 26, 2013

Steve Shoup

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Once Ravens LB Ray Lewis announced his plan to retire at the beginning of the playoffs, many people then looked to S Ed Reed on whether he would retire too. Now we have an answer.

During a Thursday press conference, Reed announced that he will play next year. When he was asked if he would retire after the season, Reed said “Nah, it’s not my last ride, I just bought a bike.” He then followed up with “I’ll be playing next year, if that’s what you all are asking. Next question.”

While we now know that Reed will be playing next year, his future with the Ravens is still unknown. Reed will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. With the Ravens projected to have low cap room and with Joe Flacco, Dannell Ellerbe, Paul Kruger, and Cary Williams also becoming free agents, the Ravens will have some tough choices to make, with the biggest probably being Reed.

The reason that many thought Reed might retire, other than Lewis retiring, was that Super Bowl XLVII is being held in New Orleans. Reed was born in St. Rose, Louisiana which is about 30 minutes from New Orleans and only 17 miles away from the Superdome (where the game will be held).

When asked about returning to New Orleans for the Super Bowl, Reed said “It’s just awesome right now. A great feeling. It’s amazing to be going back to New Orleans. I’m so grateful. To go to the Crescent City, here we come, baby.” He also said “I really don’t have any words for it. I rushed into the locker room to call my mom because I know that my family has been going through some things. So I’m just thankful to be going home to New Orleans for the whole of New Orleans to see some hometown guys. Jacoby Jones [another New Orleans native], we talked about it. We’re just grateful.”

Reed still has ties to the New Orleans area as his family still lives there. He also hosts an annual football camp at his old high school. This will be the first time that Reed has played in New Orleans since October 2006, just one year after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.