Ed Reed travels to Louisiana to be with family after brother's disappearance

Ravens free safety Ed Reed is in Louisiana with his family, dealing with the disappearance of his younger brother on Friday.

Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that there is no timetable for Reed's return as the team prepares for Saturday's AFC Divisional playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field.

"We've left that up to Ed," Harbaugh said. "I know that Ed knows this team inside and out. We haven't talked to him yet today. So I think it's going to kind of depend on the circumstances down there, what he feels he needs to do with his family. But we'll give him a lot of leeway."

Reed, who was recently invited to his seventh Pro Bowl, made four tackles in the Ravens' 30-7 defeat of the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC wild-card round despite news that 29-year-old Brian Reed had jumped into the Mississippi River Friday morning to elude police.

Authorities near St. Rose, La. — Reed's hometown — had yet to find Brian Reed, who, according to his mother Karen Reed, has had a troubled history with drugs and alcohol.

Police said Reed was trying to escape officers who thought they had stopped a stolen car, but the family said Reed was driving one of his brother's cars. His mother said authorities had found her son's jacket and shoes.

Reed, who was awarded a game ball by the team and dedicated that same game ball to his family, said he played Sunday in memory of his brother and invigorated by the support of his family in Louisiana and his family in the Ravens.

"Just keeping God first and having faith and hope," Reed said after the win against the Chiefs. "Knowing that there's a bigger picture to life than what we've got going on here. This is a child's game that we play, and like I said, these guys helped keep me focused and keep my head in the right place. Talking to my mom and dad, knowing that they're being strong right now."

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(baltimoresun.com)