Safety Ed Reed thoroughly enjoyed being with his former Ravens teammates for the first time since winning the Super Bowl and signing with the Houston Texans.
But he may not see them again, at least on the field, when the Texans play the Ravens in Week 3.
Reed, who underwent a hip procedure this offseason after signing with Houston, said he's going to take his time returning.
"I plan on being back for Week 1," Reed said after visiting the White House. "But as you've known me for the longest time, I'm going to be smart about my injuries and make sure I'm there for the later part of the season when the team really needs me."
Houston Texans Owner Bob McNair said Reed may not be ready until "the middle" of training camp. But it could be longer than that considering it's a serious injury and Reed is 34 years old.
Reed even got some jokes from President Barack Obama about his age.
"The man's getting some gray hair though," Obama said after calling him a class act. "I'm not the only one. You're like an old man, I'm telling you. That makes me feel better."
Reed said he saw the joke coming.
"He was staring at it before he picked on me," Reed said with a laugh. "I was like, 'I hope he don't say nothing.' He knows where those gray hairs come from with this job here. That's the job of a safety and the president is the ultimate safety."
The president referenced how odd it will be in Baltimore without Reed or linebacker Ray Lewis. The two Baltimore stalwarts talked about that at the White House.
Reed admitted it was a bit strange to be back with his teammates after signing with the Texans.
"Yeah, but I couldn't have ended it a better way," he said. "Me and Ray were talking about it. For us to win the Super Bowl and that be my last game, I'm fine with that."
