HOUSTON (AP) - New Houston safety Ed Reed is still rehabbing after hip surgery and isn’t sure if he’ll be ready to play for the Texans in the season opener on Sept. 9.
“If you ask my trainer and ask my doctor, they can’t believe where I’m at now,” Reed said. “It’s still a process. We want to be smart through it. At the end of the day, the smartest thing is to be ready when it really counts. And that’s the latter part of the season when you’re making that run to the playoffs and on to the Super Bowl.”
Reed was in Houston for the start of a three-day minicamp on Tuesday, but he didn’t work with the team. He had hip surgery April 30 for a partly torn labrum. He believes the injury occurred when New England quarterback Tom Brady kicked him in the AFC championship game.
“The only play I could look at is when I got kicked by a certain quarterback,” Reed said referring to Brady. “But even then, I played in the Super Bowl and you saw what happened there.”
He said he didn’t find out he needed surgery until after joining the Texans from the Super Bowl-winning Ravens. The nine-time Pro Bowler said he hasn’t had any setbacks, and he’ll have a better idea of when he might play when training camp begins in late July.
It was the second hip surgery for the 34-year-old Reed, who also had hip surgery in 2010 that caused him to miss the first six games of that season. He said the 2010 procedure was a reconstruction that included bone shaving.
“This one was a minor procedure,” he said. “I definitely feel a lot different than I did last time. It’s minor to the one I had in 2010, so the recovery is going a lot different. “
Reed had surgery in Vail, Colo., and spent a month recovering before heading to Atlanta for more rehabilitation. Coach Gary Kubiak said he hopes Reed can be ready for the start of the season, but is waiting to see how he progresses before training camp.
“He’s been back for a couple of days now and we’re just working the rehab process and have him continue what he’s been doing in Atlanta and setting our game plan between now and up in training camp,” Kubiak said. “It’s good to have him back.”
Reed, who will be entering his 12th season, said he wouldn’t be disappointed if he can’t play in Week 1 because he has to do what’s best for his recovery. He doesn’t want to rush back only to have a setback.
He avoided any target date on his return and spoke instead about what he hopes to bring to the Texans after spending his entire career with the Ravens. Some have questioned if he can still have the impact he’s had in the past as he enters his mid-30s.
Reed started each game for Baltimore last season and finished with 49 tackles and four interceptions.
“My goals are simple,” he said. “My goal was to be part of this organization that welcomed me, that wanted me, that respected what I did and knows what I’ve done on the football field and knows what I’m capable of doing. Yeah I’m older, but I’m still going to give everything I’ll ever give to this sport and definitely to this organization for what they’ve done for me.”
He joins a unit led by 2012 defensive player of the year J.J. Watt on a team that lost in the divisional round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. After winning a championship last season in Baltimore, Reed hopes he can help push the Texans to the next level this season.
“My goal is New York if you really want to know,” said Reed, after initially noting he doesn’t like to share his goals. “I think everybody knows that because that’s the ultimate goal at the end of the day. It’s not San Diego, it’s not Baltimore, it’s not New England. It’s New York, and I’m talking about the Super Bowl and that’s my goal, if you must know.”
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