When the name Ed Reed is brought up in NFL conversations across the globe, the first word that comes to mind is punishing. However, the Houston Texans‘ safety is still upset over a certain quarterback’s inability to control his leg.
In the 2012 AFC Championship Game, the Baltimore Ravens suffocated Tom Brady, yet the New England Patriots‘ gunslinger got the last laugh in the waning seconds of the game. With just 26 seconds left in regulation, Brady slid on the turf to avoid would-be tacklers and in the process he lifted his leg and clipped the hip of Reed. At the time, this action seemed harmless, but the NFL responded with a $10,000 fine in Brady’s mailbox the very next day.
The issue is not the act itself at this point; instead, Reed is dealing with the lingering effects of Brady’s infamous leg kick. In fact, the Texans are the ones who should be most worried as they signed Reed to a three-year deal this offseason worth $15 million ($6 million guaranteed). Reed’s hip issues have developed since the incident, but Houston was supposedly unaware of the magnitude — whichever Texans adviser is responsible for letting Reed’s hip issues go unnoticed needs to be on the next airplane out of Houston.
Hopefully, Reed can give it a go when the Texans’ new season begins, but the nagging injury could easily keep him out for more than half of the season. As of now, the Ravens look like geniuses for letting the All-Pro safety take a hike — of course, if Reed is healthy then Baltimore will surely have egg on its face.
