Ed Reed on NFL fining Ravens $20,000: 'They're taking away from football'

EdReed3
Standing in the locker room today, Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed laughed when asked if he would kick in to help the Ravens pay a $20,000 fine for failing to list him on the injury report with a torn labrum in his shoulder.

And then the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year unloaded on the league for punishing the Ravens, saying it doesn't make sense to him considering he didn't miss any practice time or snaps in games.

However, the NFL told The Baltimore Sun that any injury to a significant player has to be listed.

"It wasn't a serious injury that should have been reported because I wasn't out," Reed said. "That goes to show you about the integrity of the game and how it's changed and how they're making more decisions and fining us and taking away from football, so to say. They're taking money and fining you for small stuff. Anything possible they can fine for you that takes away from them, the NFL, and we are the ones who really are the NFL, the players. I don't even know how to answer this question."

Ravens coach John Harbaugh is expected to increase the amount of players he lists on the injury report going forward to comply with the NFL rulebook.
The Ravens are the third team to be fined this season for not following the injury reporting guidelines. The Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins were previously fined $20,000 for not listing defensive end Mario Williams and quarterback Robert Griffin III, respectively.

"I didn't miss any games or any practice," Reed said. "How can you fine somebody for something like that when nothing is being missed? As years go by and I'm out of the league, I'm sure that this will be brought more to people's attention, how we get treated as players, and it's not right. The CBA and the NFLPA should have probably negotiated this stuff better. They have to have a way to get their money back. It's crazy that we get fined the way we do."


Bookmark and Share
(baltimoresun.com)
blog comments powered by Disqus