Top weapon speeds up recovery process yet Packers still have concerns with his availability and durability for the season
Jayden Reed returned to practice on Wednesday.
Not every injury will take a player out of the season, but some might linger. Jason Wilde from Channel 3000 is reporting that Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed has a Jones fracture in his foot, but while the injury could require surgery and months of recovery, the slot weapon avoided that process and returned to practice on Wednesday.
“I’m working through it. I didn’t feel 100% today, but it felt great to be out there, I’ll tell you that,” Reed told Wild in the locker room.
Even though it might take a while for Jayden Reed to be fully healthy, there’s not much the player himself can do outside of regular treatment.
“Just rest, man,” Reed added. “What I’ve got going on, there’s not much I can do. But I’m going to manage it and get rest and treat it.”
Before practice, head coach Matt LaFleur had said that he was hopeful to have Jayden Reed back. His return is an important indication that he will be available in some form to play against the Detroit Lions in the regular season opener, on Sept. 7.
Production and injuries
Last year, Jayden Reed had a stellar start to his season, with 620 yards in his first nine games before the bye week. He was by far the most productive and reliable receiver the Packers had. In the second half of the season, though, injuries started to affect his performance.
LaFleur has said that Reed got “a little banged up” by the end of the year, and he had only 237 yards in the final eight games. From Week 11 on, Reed had only one game with more than 50 receiving yards, including five games with fewer than 30 yards.
He finished the regular season with 55 catches for 857 yards and six touchdowns, plus 163 rushing yards and a rushing score. Reed was still the most productive Packers receiver in each of the past two seasons, his first years in the NFL.
“Anytime I’m out there, it’s a joy. So just to be back out there with my guys, it felt great. Obviously, I didn’t do the whole practice. I’m still working through some things,” Reed mentioned. “I’m just trusting the process, following the protocol and trying to be the best I can be with where I’m at.”
This year, the former second-rounder will have more competition for targets, since Green Bay drafted Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third. Tight end Luke Musgrave is healthy and could also eat some slot snaps.
But Reed is ready to do whatever he can on the field—and his explosiveness and ability to generate yards after the catch are big parts of what this offense can achieve.
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