Ravens safety Ed Reed recently made some noise about wanting a new contract.
“I’m not making it a big deal,” Reed said.
His low-key approach possibly arises from a realization that he won’t be getting a new deal, not when he has three years and roughly $20 million left on his current contract. Or when he has openly mused about retiring. Or when he delayed hip surgery in the offseason to the point where he’s now suggesting he may not be ready until October, November, or December.
Mike Lombardi of NFL Network broke down the situation last night on Total Access. Lombardi also makes a good point about the “R” word; if Reed leaves for any reason other than injury, he’d owe the team $5.2 million in previously-paid signing bonus money.
A cynic could be tempted to conclude that Reed’s health in 2010 curiously could be tied to whether he gets that new contract. Still, Reed won’t be getting one.