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Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh backed up Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed during an interview on 105.7 The Fan Thursday morning.
Harbaugh said he’s “absolutely not” discouraged by Reed’s comments about a lack of support from the franchise.
“I’m not worried about that stuff,” Harbaugh said. “I know he loves to play. I know he loves the Ravens and I know he’s going to be there when he can be.”
Harbaugh said he and Reed have a “real close football relationship” and that they have had phone conversations during the offseason.
The two had already planned to meet once he reported to training camp. Harbaugh said he’s sure the two will get “a lot of things worked out.”
“I think he wants to finish strong,” Harbaugh said. “The thing I’ve shared with him is, we as a coaching staff want to do everything we can to help him be the best player he can be as he finishes his career, and have the greatest legacy he can possibly have, and win as many games, championships and all those other things, and I know he wants that. All the other stuff, to me, that’s addressed one-on-one, face-to-face.”
When it comes to whether Reed – whom Harbaugh called a first-ballot Hall of Famer – will be able to play when the season starts, Harbaugh was hopeful but also confident in the Ravens’ other safeties, Tom Zbikowski, Haruki Nakamura and Ken Hamlin.
“[Reed's] a competitive guy, he wants to play, and if he’s not able to go then it’s going to hurt us,” Harbaugh said.
“But that’s the way it is in football or any sport. A guy can blow out his knee, or sprain his ankle; you’ve got to be ready for the next guy to step in and play. I think we’ve done a really good job of developing our young players. … We’ve got guys who can play.”
