Given an extended rehab window after suffering a broken collarbone in Week 2, Jayden Reed will use it to address another issue that had plagued him entering the season. As a result, the Packers wide receiver will have an unusual road to travel.
In addition to the expected clavicle surgery, Reed confirmed (via X) he also underwent a foot operation. Reed will now be out indefinitely, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will create an interesting mission for the third-year pass catcher. The 2023 and ’24 Green Bay receiving leader will be rehabbing two surgeries in-season while having a presumptive goal of returning before year’s end.
The collarbone injury was to sideline Reed between six and eight weeks. As we discussed last week, this injury opened a door for Reed to take care of his foot issue — one he had previously tried to play through. A late-August report confirmed Reed had suffered a Jones fracture in his foot. This injury can sideline players for several weeks, but in-season returns are not unheard of. Deebo Samuel came back from a June 2020 Jones fracture by Week 4, while Derrick Henry rehabbed a November 2021 Jones fracture in time to return for the Titans’ divisional-round game.
Reed, of course, will need to devote time to recovering from two injuries. He had missed most of training camp but returned in time for Week 1, hauling in three receptions for 45 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. This will mark one of the more interesting rehab odysseys in recent NFL history, especially with the Packers looking like one of the NFL’s best teams through two weeks. They have also done so, once again, without a defined target hierarchy.
Reed’s agent spoke with Packers brass about the WR’s status following the team’s first- and third-round receiver picks (Matthew Golden, Savion Williams). Through two games, the Pack have not seen Golden contribute much. The Houston- and Texas-developed wideout has two receptions for 16 yards. Romeo Doubs (96 yards) and Dontayvion Wicks (74) are leading Green Bay WRs in yardage, with Tucker Kraft emerging as the team’s de facto No. 1 receiver (with 140). Much will be expected of Golden post-Reed, but the Packers still have some depth even without Reed and Christian Watson.
Watson, who is rehabbing an ACL tear sustained in Week 18, is now expected to return before Reed. With the latter now on a two-surgery rehab road, it will be interesting to see how his timetable will be affected. The Packers still have a route to their deep receiver array emerging, but a second Reed procedure does provide a notable complication.