Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed will have season-ending neck surgery, head coach Matt LaFleur announced Wednesday.
LaFleur said Reed will be sidelined for a “significant amount of time” after sustaining the neck injury in the Packers’ Week 2 road win over the New York Jets, though the coach added the injury is not thought to be career-threatening for the 26-year-old.
Reed had to be carted off the field in the first quarter of the Sept. 20 overtime victory. Early in the game, on a 4-yard catch, Jets linebacker Demario Davis’ shoulder pad struck Reed’s helmet; Reed went down, fumbled and lay face down on the MetLife Stadium turf. Teammates gathered around him while medical staff stabilized his head on a backboard before he was placed on a cart and taken off.
After the game, LaFleur said Reed had movement in all his limbs and stayed overnight in New Jersey. Reed returned to Green Bay the following week, and LaFleur later confirmed the problem involved Reed’s neck, not the back as some reports had suggested. At that point the coach said Reed was “doing OK” but it was too early to know whether he could return this season. On Wednesday, LaFleur provided the update that Reed will miss the remainder of the year.
LaFleur called the situation difficult for Reed, noting how upsetting it was to witness and how much Reed’s energy and presence mean to the team and locker room. The coach emphasized Reed will be missed.
Reed emerged as a key, versatile target in his first two NFL seasons despite a crowded receiver group, posting at least 55 catches, 790 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns in each of those years. Injuries have limited him more recently: last season he underwent surgery for a broken clavicle and a Jones fracture in his foot. He played through the foot problem and later suffered a shoulder injury in a Week 2 win over Washington, returned in Week 14 and finished the season, including appearing in the Packers’ wild-card loss to the Chicago Bears.
This time, however, Reed will not return this season and will be out for an extended period while he recovers from neck surgery.
Fan Take: This is a big blow for Packers fans — Reed is a dynamic playmaker whose absence weakens Green Bay’s receiving depth and offensive versatility. More broadly, serious injuries like this remind NFL fans how fragile players’ careers can be and underscore the ongoing importance of player safety and concussion/neck protocols.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
