Jayden Reed Joins Packers’ Long List of Injured Receivers

Green Bay Packers receiver Jayden Reed watched Saturday’s preseason game against the New York Jets with a walking boot on his left foot, an injury that has his status for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions in some doubt.

“Potentially,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the 30-10 loss. “I think anytime you see a guy in a boot, that’s a concern.”

LaFleur said Reed “hopefully” will be ready for the season-opener against the Lions on Sept. 7 – a little less than a month from now.

Reed missed time earlier in camp with a toe injury. This injury is to his other foot, he said.

“Just cut wrong off my foot and just a little sore, battling a little something,” Reed said.

Was there any chance he wouldn’t be ready for Week 1?

“I don’t want to be the one to speak on it,” Reed said.

While the Packers are deep at receiver after drafting Matthew Golden in the first round and Savion Williams in the third round, it would be significant if Reed’s absence lingered into the regular season. A second-round pick in 2023, he led the Packers in receptions and yards as a rookie and again last season.

In 2023, Reed was the sixth receiver selected. Overall, he ranks sixth with 119 receptions, fifth with 1,650 yards and second with 14 touchdowns. Last season, the Packers had five 100-yard receiving games. Reed had three. In his two years, the Packers had seven 100-yard receiving games. Reed had four.

The Packers, in the words of LaFleur, got their “ass kicked” by the Jets. It didn’t help that the Packers have been hammered by injuries at the position.

Christian Watson, who had the other two 100-yard games last season, is coming back from a torn ACL. Dontayvion Wicks remains sidelined by a calf injury. Williams, who has been in and out of practice throughout training camp, didn’t play on Saturday.

Without them, Green Bay’s receivers caught 6-of-15 passes for 45 yards. Malik Heath caught 1-of-4 for 4 yards and Romeo Doubs caught 0-of-2 targets. 

Quarterback Jordan Love wouldn’t use the injuries as an excuse for the No. 1 offense’s terrible performance.

“For starters, it’s never fun losing a game like that, where it just feels like nothing’s going your way and we’re not making any big-time plays,” Love said after going 1-of-5 passing for 7 yards. “So, that’s the tough part. But it’s preseason. Like you said, we’ve got guys banged up left and right. So, there’s areas we’re going to look at and definitely clean up going forward. And there’s a lot from just pre-snap penalties, post-snap penalties, and just execution as an offense. So, there’s going to be a lot of stuff to clean up.”

Reed said injuries are part of the game. Now, he said, it’s up to him to respond.

Reed seemed to be off to a strong start at training camp.

“I don’t feel like I really even got started, honestly,” he said. “If you ask me, I don’t really even think I got started.”