Surgery Week for Green Bay's Reed

Green Bay Packers’ WR Jayden Reed left the week 2 game against Washington in significant pain after falling on his right shoulder during the opening drive. After 3 receptions for 45 yards and 1 touchdown against the Lions in week 1, Reed was looking to grow his role in a young Green Bay receiving corps going into his third year in the league. Now Reed is looking at surgery this week and 6-8 weeks of rehabilitation before a possible return around November.

Let’s talk about collarbones:

The collarbone runs from the sternum in the middle of the chest out to meet the shoulder blade. The collarbone is ‘S’ shaped and acts as the primary connection between the shoulder and the torso. When an athlete lands directly on the point of their shoulder, like Reed did, the force of the landing is sent straight through the collarbone. If it’s a big enough impact the bone breaks at its weakest point, which is the middle section where the direction of the ‘S’ curve changes.

Treatment options for collarbone fractures are either surgical or non-surgical. Historically most collarbone fractures have been treated non-surgically with good results for return to sport(1). With current surgical techniques and materials for fixing fractures, there has been a shift towards plating collarbone fractures. A summary of current research shows that plating collarbone fractures allows for earlier function and return to sport with fewer cases of incomplete healing. There are some increased risks when plating a collarbone fracture like infection or the need for additional surgery. Additional surgery for collarbones is usually to remove the plate and screws once the break is healed, which is an elective procedure that can be done in an offseason with a quick recovery.

The good news in all of this is that receivers who have had broken collarbones plated have returned to the NFL with little drop in production(2). In terms of fantasy impact, Reed’s injury may actually clear the way for players like Malik Heath and rookie Matthew Golden to make an impact even as the team looks forward to the return of Christian Watson. Losing Reed also solidifies TE Tucker Kraft as a receiving option, increasing his fantasy value beyond what his outstanding performances in weeks 1 and 2 have already done.

To summarize, losing Reed for 6-8 weeks hurts, but both the Packers and fantasy owners able to keep Reed in an IR slot have reason to be optimistic about his performance when he returns.

1.        Ahmed, A., Salameh, M., AlKhatib, N., Elmhiregh, A. & Ahmed, G. (2018). Open Reduction and Internal Fixation Versus Nonsurgical Treatment in Displaced Midshaft Clavicle Fractures: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, 32 (7), e276-e283. doi: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000001174.

2.        Jack RA 2nd, Sochacki KR, Navarro SM, McCulloch PC, Lintner DM, Harris JD. Performance and Return to Sport After Clavicle Open Reduction and Internal Fixation in National Football League Players. Orthop J Sports Med. 2017 Aug 8;5(8):2325967117720677. doi: 10.1177/2325967117720677. PMID: 28840146; PMCID: PMC5555514.