Ravens safety Ed Reed has sent mixed signals about his plans to play the 2012 season, a message that got a little muddier on Tuesday.
Reed did not show up for the start of the team’s mandatory minicamp session, which puts him at risk for more than $70,000 in fines from the Ravens. Reed has not been present for the team’s voluntary offseason work either, choosing to spend time at home with his family instead of being in Maryland. According to Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times, no formal explanation for his absence is expected.
Reed said last month that he was still unsure whether or not he was going to play this season. He reversed course a couple of days later and said that he wanted to play for years. Reed’s experience means that he needs this work less than other members of the team so you can’t read too much into his decision not to go to minicamp.
It’s unknown whether or not the Ravens will choose to impose the fines on Reed for not appearing. The team has shown no interest in getting money back from Terrell Suggs after his injury away from the team’s facility, but this is a different situation. Coach John Harbaugh and others have expressed nothing but confidence about Reed playing in 2012, but the coach also said that he didn’t think Reed would miss any mandatory work.
He’s now missing mandatory work and the Ravens are likely a little less confident about what comes next.