IEd Reed‘ve speculated for months that Ed Reed’s is playing his final season in Baltimore. If the Ravens defeat the 49ers on Sunday, I think there’s a very good chance he rides off into the sunset with his old pal Ray Lewis. But if they don’t, I certainly expect Reed to continue his career — I just don’t think it will be in purple and black.

It didn’t take long for the media to latch on to Reed’s impending free agency. He won’t hit the market until May, but he’s already linked to the Patriots. We’ve all heard before how much Bill Belichick and Tom Brady respect his play and when asked whether he would play in New England, Reed didn’t shy away from the question.

“Yeah, oh yeah, man, I could definitely play for Coach Belichick,” Reed told Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “He is a great coach. I’m sure he can help me to expand my football knowledge even more as a player and as a coach, so if I’m ever able to be around him, just like I was at the Pro Bowl, it’s huge.”

Wrong answer. The answer he was looking for was “I’m focused on winning the Super Bowl right now, not thinking about next season.” Or maybe, “I’ve spent my whole career in Baltimore and can’t imagine playing in another uniform.”

But then Reed made it even worse.

“It’s the reason why I wear my sweater cut off a little bit,” Reed explained about his sleeveless hoodie. “He’s the first guy I saw like, ‘That’s cool.’ You know, that’s cool. He cuts those sweater sleeves, and he’ll be comfortable. So there’s a reason why. Most people will tell you around the facility that’s how I look. It’s just a blessing to even have met, to know Coach Belichick.”

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