Ed Reed got to the microphone.
"Baltimore! Baltimore!" he screamed. "Yeah, we play football in Baltimore. We're going to continue to play football in Baltimore."
Then he led the "Seven Nation Army" chant with more than 71,000 fans.
"We love you all, Baltimore!" he said. "We play for you, we represent you. This is how we do it, baby, the football city."
So will Reed leave the football city?
General Manager Ozzie Newsome has been watching Reed bask in the love of his city since going to and winning Super Bowl XLVII. And he's hoping that could entice the safety to stay rather than depart in free agency.
"I think he realizes there may be some other options out there, but I think if you watched him and watched his body language over the course of the last eight to 10 days, that he loves being here in Baltimore," Newsome said Thursday.
"I think we can use that to help make that relationship last a little bit longer."
Newsome said he has not had any official contract conversations with Reed, who is now an unrestricted free agent but still does not have an agent. Newsome said Reed wanted to "let some time clear" before contract talks.
Reed and Head Coach John Harbaugh talked on the bus ride back from the Superdome after the victory, and both said they wanted to stay together.
"He and I both agreed that we want him back," Harbaugh said. "I want him back, and Ed wants to come back."
It's unclear how much Baltimore will be able to offer Reed considering it also has quarterback Joe Flacco, outside linebacker Paul Kruger, inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe and cornerback Cary Williams to worry about as free agents.
