It is widely rumored that long time Ravens staples, safety Ed Reed and wide receiver Derrick Mason, are considering retiring from the NFL.
Ravens head coach, John Harbaugh, is sounding quite confident that the two veterans are leaning towards competing in 2010.
“Right now, I expect them both to be back,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll just have to see how that plays out. Ultimately, it will be up to them.”
According to Harbaugh, he spoke with Reed and Mason after the Ravens’ season ended and got the impression they were going to play next season.
“Ed knows we want him back, and I want him back,” said Harbaugh. “He’s a huge part of our defense. He’s a very important player, not just from a football ability standpoint but from a leadership standpoint on this team. He’s a premier player in the National Football League.”
Mason, who is an unrestricted free agent, is a completely different situation.
“We’ll see how plays out over the next couple of months,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve told Derrick that we want him back. We want him on this football team, and we’re going to do everything we can to keep him on this football team next year.”