Ed Reed's Comments on Peyton Manning and His Neck Contain a Heavier Point

NBC Sports is running a short story, their NFL lead as of 7:45 AM PST, that inadvertently captures a lot of what’s wrong with the journalism covering NFL head and neck injuries. The story was about Ed Reed; the headline was a quote from him:

I LOVE THIS GAME BUT MYSELF MORE

The subtext reads: “PFT: Ravens safety Ed Reed says he'd retire rather than have the neck surgeries that Peyton Manning has had to have.”

The piece describes how Reed emphatically noted he would never have his neck messed with to continue playing football and then concludes with:

“Reed has had a great career and been one of the most explosive players in football over the last decade. But his comments are an indication that he sees the end coming soon.”

Here’s my question: Why was the following Reed quote buried in the story?

“You’ve got to be smart about tackling. I’m not hitting guys as much as I used to — not hitting them trying to knock them out as much, sorry to say. You’re not tackling with your shoulder as much, just wrapping them up and getting them on the ground.”

The story is not the (kinda implied) notion that Reed puts himself before the game—an idea sure to fire up those fans that have an allergic reaction to Me-First football or Troy Polamalu fans who believe the Steeler star owns the mantle of “Greatest Safety in the Game.” (Note how they flooded the comments section.)

The story is not the (kinda implied) notion that Reed thinks Manning is crazy for tinkering with his neck to stay in football. (Is Peyton supposed to respond “Ed Reed should mind his own business” and we get a media back and forth?)

The story is not the (blatantly stated) conclusion that Ed Reed is thinking about hanging up the cleats soon. (Sorry, when did he actually say that?)

The story is that one of the fiercest players in NFL history, one of those assassins that has “that nose” for the ball is saying, publicly, that he’s finally learned ruthlessly blasting players with the entirety of his body is unsafe.

Reed’s quotes exist and should be highlighted in the context of NFL and journalists doing their best to educate the public (and young aspiring safeties) that playing with complete disregard for your body could give you brain damage or leave you paralyzed.

The problem is that such an article doesn’t generate clicks. Ed Reed noting a recent personal epiphany is far less intriguing than Ed Reed commenting on Peyton Manning’s decisions. Readers don’t want to hear about how the most thrilling safety since Ronnie Lott has decided to tone it down a little.

Off hand, of course NFL fans want safer game play; of course they want the league to take steps to avoid concussions and brain damage. But those discussions just aren’t sexy; and in the end, we’d be getting a game with fewer highlight reels, fewer “Jacked Up!” segments, fewer YouTube clips to send to your buddy who roots for the other team and say, “Let me know when he wakes up!”

The net result, for the fan, is that the game is less exciting.

And that has been, and will continue to be, the silent opponent against safety measures and education for NFL players: our personal investment in the ferocity of football. The game can’t get safer until voices like Ed Reed are heard for what he’s really saying, not for the best angle to garner pageviews.

[Follow Caleb on  Twitter or Bleacher Report if you want more musings. He also wrote a book called The St George's Angling Club, which you can buy on Amazon.]