The Texans didn’t want Ed Reed, and neither did any other NFL team.
Reed, the veteran safety and former NFL Defensive Player of the Years, went unclaimed on waivers today, one day after the Texans released him, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. That makes him an unrestricted free agent.
What remains to be seen is whether any team will consider Reed down the stretch. The Ravens, for instance, apparently don’t want him now, but if they suffered an injury or two at safety they might follow in the footsteps of the Packers, who initially decided not to claim Matt Flynn when he was placed on waivers by the Bills, but a week later signed Flynn after losing Seneca Wallace.
But while that scenario is possible, it doesn’t seem probable: Reed didn’t play well this year, and he’s 35 years old. It may turn out that Houston was his last stop. If so, at least he took in $5 million on his way to retirement.