When safety Ed Reed left the Ravens to sign with the Texans, Baltimore coach John Harbaugh talked about how much he appreciated what Reed had done for the team. But Harbaugh may have been quietly thinking, “Good riddance.”
According to a new report out of Baltimore, the talk that the Ravens and Texans were in a bidding war for Reed was wrong, and in reality the Ravens were happy to see Reed go. Specifically, Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun writes, “Ravens coach John Harbaugh wanted Reed back as much as he wants a root canal.”
At the time that Reed left, Harbaugh said, “Ed has had a major impact on our organization and our community. He is a great player and a great friend. We will always be thankful for what we accomplished together.” Harbaugh did not, however, specifically say that he wanted Reed to stay.
If Preston’s report is correct, and Harbaugh did want Reed out, it may have stemmed from the near “mutiny” that was reported by Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports during the 2012 season. Reed and Bernard Pollard reportedly led the mutiny, complaining about Harbaugh’s practices and his general treatment of players. That mutiny may have been a factor in Pollard’s release, although Pollard takes issue with that idea.
Harbaugh will surely never say publicly that he wanted Reed gone. But he probably isn’t losing any sleep about losing a player who complained about the way the coach ran practice.