New York Jets safety Ed Reed has hit back at critics who suggested that he was past his best following a tough season.
Reed left the Baltimore Ravens following their Super Bowl triumph earlier this year and signed for the Houston Texans but was released after just seven games and signed with the Jets, where he has also struggled for form.
"That's football, man," Reed told NJ.com. "We in this locker room have been playing football for a long time. Nobody's perfect out here on this football field.
"You guys' jobs is to critique, be critics. That's why you ask a controversial question—to try to be controversial and then trash people in the media.
"I could care less about that. Missed tackles happen. Nobody's perfect. Big plays - you can't have them. Not to win."
The Jets are out of the NFL playoffs and are 6-8 in their season.