The Green Bay Packers await the official word on Jayden Reed. Additionally, he has been their leading receiver for the past two seasons and is now staring down the barrel of a sprained foot injury. That is significant considering Reed has missed every practice since Wednesday which worried the coaching staff and fans. Coach Matt LaFleur expressed cautious optimism about Reed’s potential return before the regular season but acknowledged the team’s worries about his condition.
This was especially true during Saturday night’s matchup with the New York Jets, where the Packers were trounced in a 30-10 loss. Reed was seen in the locker room after the game in a walking boot on his left foot. Unlike Thornton, who had his injury happen on the eve of training camp’s first game against New York. The Packers are in a bit of a pickle. They’d already been scrambling to replace four of their top six receivers, Reed included.
Reed’s injury history makes this whole situation a little more complicated. After undergoing surgery early on in the offseason, he began training camp on the non-football injury list. That was all because of a toe injury on his right foot. As Reed pointed out Wednesday, his new sprained left foot is nothing like that ongoing toe ordeal.
“I don’t feel like I really even got started, honestly,” Reed said, reflecting on his training camp experience so far. Not being able to go through practice and games has limited him more. Consequently, he loses the opportunity to develop chemistry with his fellow pass-catchers and hone his craft.
Coach LaFleur thinks Reed has a shot to return in time. He’s optimistic that Reed will be available for the beginning of the regular season. Yet despite Reed’s potentially positive trajectory, with Reed out of practice and games, there continues to be an almost tangible level of anxiety within the organization.
At the same time, Reed is being careful with his rehabilitation. He didn’t elaborate on the extent of his recovery or a timeline.
I don’t want to be wrong about anything, so I ain’t going to be the one to say it, That’s the goal, you know,” he said, fully aware he might not come back.
See what’s in store as the Packers prepare for their future opponents. Reed’s injury is a crushing blow to the team’s chemistry and performance. With him and fellow receiver Christian Watson both banged up, it’s an uphill challenge for the Packers. They’ll have to rely on their other wide receivers in the next few weeks to fill that role.
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