Ed Reed had his one-game suspension cut down to a modest $50,000 fine on Tuesday, but he's still not happy.
The Baltimore Ravens safety appeared at Ray Lewis' annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway later Tuesday, where he said "a lot needs to be done" to improve the NFL's enforcement of player safety.
"I'm grateful that the truth comes out, to some degree," Reed said, according to The Baltimore Sun. "I'm grateful to continue to play this game with my teammates."
"The rules of the game have changed," Reed said. "I've never been that guy, and don't plan on being that guy. It's a shame it came to this point."
Reed was hit with a one-game ban Monday for his hit on Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders on Sunday night. The NFL cited "repeated violations of the rule prohibiting hits to the head and neck area of defenseless players." The NFL chalked up the hit as Reed's third violation over the past three seasons.
The ban was overturned on appeal by NFL hearing officer Ted Cottrell.
"It's starting to become a flag football thing," Reed said. "It really needs to be discussed -- it's a contact sport. I'm not happy with the 50 grand (fine)."
Reed will be on the field with teammates when the Ravens meet the San Diego Chargers on Sunday. Don't count on seeing a less-aggressive version of the All-Pro.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.
