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Ed Reed, as a member of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, visited the White House today. That's cool. Ed Reed, current salaried employee and starting free safety for our beloved Houston Texans, told reporters there that he's "going to be smart about [his] injuries." Well, okay. Nothing to sweat th--
"I plan on being back for Week 1," Reed said after visiting the White House. "But as you’ve known me for the longest time, I’m going to be smart about my injuries and make sure I’m there for the later part of the season when the team really needs me."
Not cool, Ed. Not cool at all.
Recall that when (crazy late) word broke about Reed having hip surgery, the circulated prognosis (to be fair, not by Reed himself) was that he'd be back by training camp. With his latest comments, Reed seems to be throwing that timetable right into the crapper into flux.
No one ever wants to hear an athlete qualifying his availability to perform. Certainly not after said athlete was given a brand new contract by a new employer a couple of months ago. Certainly not before said athlete ever plays a snap for his new team. Certainly not after the owner reassured fans that his team's prized veteran acquisition would "be ready once training camp starts, maybe the middle." Certainly not after the Texans evidently pinned a significant portion of their strategy in free agency upon the notion of a healthy Ed Reed patrolling the back end of the secondary. This is not the kind of "news" the Texans or their fans want to hear from Ed Reed.
Yet, with all that said, it's June 5th, which means there are more than three full months until the Texans open their season against the Chargers on Monday Night Football on September 9th. There's still plenty of time for Ed Reed to get right for when it really matters.
Now, if Ed Reed is not ready for training camp, we can ratchet up the panic. Then, if he's not ready for Week 1, it'll be fair to vigorously debate whether the Texans inexcusably botched the Glover Quin negotiations. And, if the Texans' performance during the first part of the 2013 regular season renders Ed Reed's pledge to be there "when the team really needs [him]" worthless, we can all snap like twigs and turn BRB into Thunderdome.