Less than 48 hours after declaring that the Houston Texans were "outplayed and outcoached" in their 27-24 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, safety Ed Reed might be facing the end of his football career.
The Texans are releasing Reed, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday, per a source informed of the pending deal. Reed was officially released later Tuesday, the Texans announced, and he will go on waivers after earning $5 million guaranteed for just seven games. John McClain of the Houston Chronicle had the first report.
Reed's criticism of the coaching staff's schemes, assignments and situational football came just days after he was demoted from the starting lineup in favor of Shiloh Keo.
The Texans surely realized a disgruntled veteran of Reed's declining skill level and decorated resume would be a distraction on a team trying to pull itself out of the tailspin of a seven-game losing skid.
The future Hall of Famer is free to latch on to a contender for the stretch run. The question is whether any team in need of a safety has a spot open for a player who has become a competitive disadvantage at the tail end of his career.
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