Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed has no plans to join his future Hall of Fame teammate Ray Lewis in retirement after they face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Feb. 3.
“I’ll be playing next year,” Reed said Thursday at the Ravens practice facility.
Throughout the season, there had been widespread speculation that Reed may consider retirement following this season.
Ray Lewis, 37, announced earlier this month that he would be entering retirement following their playoff run. He deemed this voyage as his “last ride,” which has ultimately propelled them to the Super Bowl as the team has fed off of Lewis’ news. They defeated the heavy favorite Denver Broncos 38-35 in overtime. They followed that game by defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game 28-13.
The 34-year-old emphasized he still has quite a bit of riding to do.
“No, it’s not my last ride. I just bought a bike,” Reed said.
Reed is capping off his 11th season with the Ravens organization and has 61 career interceptions, which are a franchise record. He also holds the NFL record with 1,541 yards in interception returns.
The New Orleans native, who has been selected in nine Pro Bowls, including each one since 2006, has not missed a single start since 2010. He sat out the first six games of the 2010 season with a hip injury. Reed and fellow cornerback Cary Williams are the only two defensive players to start in all 16 games this season for the team.
“There’s no other man like Ed Reed,” Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones said to ESPN. “He’s passionate and he’s such a hard worker. That guy helps me out, and he’s a safety. He understands the game at every position.”
Reed has had another impressive season for the Ravens, making 58 tackles and snatching four interceptions. He also recovered three fumbles.
Reed will now return to his hometown to hopefully win the Super Bowl in front of his family. But one person who will be missing is his brother, Brian Reed, who died after jumping into the Mississippi River and drowning in an attempt to elude police.
“He was a loving kid,” Reed told the Baltimore Sun at the time of the tragedy. “He just was a good kid, man. He had a son that he cherished and loved and that was his reason for living.”
If Reed can help the Ravens win the Super Bowl, this will be another step toward the healing process as he heads into unrestricted free agency next season.
