The Jets announced that Reed is expected to practice with the team Thursday.
Reed once played for Jets coach Rex Ryan when Ryan served as a defensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens (2002-08). Ryan once called Reed "the best safety that's ever played."
Ed Reed is set to be reunited with Rex Ryan as the Jets try to shore up their pass defense for a playoff push.
Reed is familiar with Ryan's system, his defensive coordinator (former Ravens assistant Dennis Thurman) and the team's lead safety, Dawan Landry, another ex-Raven.
On Wednesday, Ryan sounded intrigued by Reed's availability, acknowledging that he and general manager John Idzik discussed the player. People close to the situation questioned whether Idzik would sign off on it. Idzik, hired last January to rebuild the team, is operating from a long-term plan.
But the landscape has changed, as the Jets are a surprising 5-4, currently holding the second wild-card position in the AFC.
Reed would be available for the Jets' game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills The Jets also play the Ravens the following week. If he plays against the Ravens, it will be his second game this season against his former team. He made his season debut for Houston in a 30-9 loss at Baltimore in Week 3.
Reed's additions is by far the splashiest veteran acquisition of the Idzik regime. But Reed, a cinch Hall of Famer, comes with questions.
Reed, who left the Ravens to sign a three-year, $15 million contract with the Texans, underwent hip surgery last offseason and missed the first two games. He played in only 49 percent of the defensive snaps, recently losing his starting job. He had no interceptions, no pass break-ups and only 16 tackles.
In last week's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Reed played only 12 snaps and said afterward they had been "outplayed and outcoached." That sealed his fate.
Reed, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, isn't what he used to be. But the Jets' pass defense, yielding 251 yards per game (ranked 24th), needs help. They have only five interceptions, including just two by the safeties.
Reed probably will start alongside Landry, although it's possible he could be the No. 3 safety. Ryan is high on second-year safety Antonio Allen and may not want to remove him from the lineup. But the Jets use three safeties in certain packages, meaning all three could be on the field.
Reed is one of the most accomplished defensive players in recent history. He has 61 interceptions for 1,541 return yards [a league record] and seven touchdowns. He's a five-time All-Pro, last making it in 2010.
