Ed Reed Says He Could Still Play in the NFL

It's been almost three years since former All-Pro safety and current Buffalo Bills defensive backs coach Ed Reed last played in the NFL, but he believes he could still produce some solid seasons in the league.

On Thursday, as the Bills prepared for their opening game against Reed's longtime team, the Baltimore Ravens, the 37-year-old told Matthew Fairburn of NewYorkUpstate.com that "there's no joke about it."

"I got two, three years in me, but I'm not giving it to the league," Reed added. "I already decided not to. Things could happen, but I don't think there's enough finances to get me in those cleats anymore."

When asked how much money it would to take to get him back onto the field, Reed jokingly asked how much the current jackpot of the lottery is, suggesting $306 million to $308 million might be just enough to get him to lace up the cleats one more time.

But even then, Reed wouldn't want to come back.

"Man, I've been knowing that I'm no longer a player a long time ago," he said. "That's why I retired. All that's gone. That stuff's behind me, man. Here I am, Coach Reed."

During his 12-year career with the Ravens, Houston Texans and New York Jets, Reed became one of the premier safeties in the league.

With nine Pro Bowl selections, he led the league in interceptions on three different occasions, compiling a total of 64 picks throughout his career. That ranks seventh on the NFL's all-time list behind notable names such as Paul Krause, Emlen Tunnell and Charles Woodson.

Reed's 1,590 interception return yards rank first in league history, while his 13 non-offensive touchdowns are fifth on the all-time list.

He helped lead the Ravens to the playoffs seven times, including a Super Bowl XLVII win over the San Francisco 49ers.

His presence in the Ravens secondary was so influential that it even coaxed this out of New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, per Monique Jones of the Baltimore Sun: "[I] can't say I've ever coached against anybody better than Ed Reed in the secondary."

Regardless of whether he wants to play, Reed looks like he could still suit up, as the NFL showed:

Even Bills head coach Rex Ryan jokingly suggested Reed should stay in shape in case the team needs help at the safety position, per Fairburn.

However, Reed seems to be at peace with his life in his post-playing days, and he'll try to get the Bills secondary to produce the same kind of play that made him a threat for more than a decade. 

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com.