Steve Davis: Ed Reed Losing PR Battle

Let me start by saying that not only do I think Ed Reed is a talented football player, I also think he is a quality guy. He cares about people, is great to the kids he comes across when he is out and about, and is a great teammate. That said, I think he is making a mistake in how he is handling his contract situation. Actually, it isn't really a contract situation. He has a year let on a contract that made him the highest paid safety in the NFL. He has no reason to threaten a holdout, as he is not underpaid.

Now, of course, I understand that players will use holdouts as a bargaining chip, but I don't think it's right in this case, and I definitely think that if he wants to dangle that threat, he should have an agent doing it. His rhetoric is alienating fans; if he had an agent doing the dirty work, he could steer clear of any negative fan reaction. Reed is an extremely popular figure in this town, but he is losing the support of some of his fans.