The Green Bay Packers have been far from the Super Bowl contenders that many predicted they would be this season. Starting the season with two incredible wins, they have been mediocre since, with a few ugly losses littered throughout the year. A major component of their failure has been the offense.
Superstar quarterback Jordan Love hasn’t taken a superstar leap, and injuries have continued to pile on for the pass catchers all year long. Among them, one of the earliest blows of the season came to Jayden Reed, who has yet to come back to the lineup.
What Happened to Jayden Reed?
After two solid seasons with the Packers, Reed opened the season with another good game against the Detroit Lions. However, trying to make a heroic catch in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders, he fell hard on his upper body.
A broken collarbone diagnosis immediately made it clear that the process for recovery was going to be a long one for the roster’s designated WR1. Head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t mince words at the time when detailing the gravity of the situation.
“He’s going to miss a lot of time. We’ll see how fast he can recover and heal, and certainly I would expect him back at some point this season, but obviously it’s a big blow to us.” Since then, he’s undergone surgery for the collar, as well as a Jones fracture in his leg.
At the time of the injury, the hope was that he could return in six to eight weeks. However, so far, the team hasn’t opened his 21-day practice window. Now, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the latest on the young wide receiver.
“The target for Reed’s return is either the Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit or the week after vs. Chicago. Reed’s foot injury is completely healed, and he has been able to take his training to a level where he should be ready to play once his broken collarbone is healed.”
For a team that has had to miss Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Dontayvious Wicks, and Tucker Kraft for various parts throughout the year, not to mention the new injury to Romeo Doubs in Week 10, Reed is critical to the offense having any pulse moving forward.
However, the game against the Lions is scheduled for Week 13. Even though he was seen on the rehab field by ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, that still puts his return a ways away.
