Ravens safety Ed Reed said a nerve impingement in his neck and shoulder likely will keep him out of the regular season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
The seven-year veteran did not play in any preseason game and has been limited in practice throughout training camp. Reed has continued to work out with the team, but has not been involved in any type of major contact and has worn a red non-contact jersey, similar to the one worn by quarterbacks.
“Right now, I’m still day-to-day,” Reed said. “Hopefully, I can get back, but health is more important right now because it’s a long season and I feel the team is going to need me more down the line than early and get hurt or something like that and can’t play again.”
Reed has visited doctors in Florida, North Carolina, New Jersey and Michigan for diagnoses on his injury.
“I know what the older guys are going through,” Reed said. “You’re not being pressured to play, but you know in the long run this is a business. If you’re not healthy you’re not out there. At the same time, I’ve been playing this game for a long time and I pray I can continue to do that. You got to be smart.”
Reed, the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, said surgery is not an option right now, as it could end a career in which he’s made 418 tackles, 34 interceptions and four Pro Bowl appearances.
“If I had surgery now, you wouldn’t be interviewing me ever again,” he said. “If I had surgery, I wouldn’t be playing.”
The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder played in all 16 games last season and made the Pro Bowl after finishing with 45 tackles and a team-high seven interceptions. Losing Reed would be a huge blow to a secondary, which needs Reed to improve from last year’s disastrous showing.
Last year, the Ravens ranked 20th out of 32 NFL teams by allowing an average of 222.3 yards a game, largely because cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister missed a combined 16 games. Rolle said he will be ready for the Bengals, but McAlister still is recovering from a knee injury.
“When everyone gets healthy it’s going to be a good show,” said Ravens cornerback Derrick Martin, who is out for two more weeks with a shoulder injury. “We need guys like Ed Reed out there. When everyone gets clicking we’ll be able to show some good things to everyone.”
If Reed can’t play, veteran Jim Leonhard would take his place in the starting lineup. The 25 year old signed with the Ravens in the offseason after spending his first three years with the Buffalo Bills.
“Ed Reed is the best safety in the league and you always miss someone of that caliber when they are not out there,” Ravens safety Dawan Landry said. “But it helps knowing there is not too much of a drop off when guys like Jim Leonhard [and rookies] Haruki Nakamura and Tom Zbikowski are out there to take his place.”
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