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According to News 3 Now’s Jason Wilde, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed has suffered a Jones fracture. Reed had been dealing with a foot injury during the preseason, often seen in a walking boot, and we now know the reported root of the issue.
Reed practiced on Wednesday, the Packers’ first time in pads since the cutdown deadline, and head coach Matt LaFleur stated in his pre-practice press conference that he’s hopeful that Reed will be able to play in Green Bay’s opener against the Detroit Lions on September 7th. At a minimum, Reed’s health seems to be trending in a positive direction.
Jones fractures were recently in the NFL news cycle when the Las Vegas Raiders voided the guarantees of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins over disagreements about his rehab process following surgery to fix the injury. Wilkins remains unsigned and has filed a grievance with the NFLPA over his voided guarantees.
According to the National Institutes of Health’s research into Jones fracture surgery in the NFL, there was a “decrease in performance by 46.3%” by those returning to the field in less than 10 weeks after surgery. Luckily, it doesn’t sound like Reed, who got three weeks of rest from practice leading up to Wednesday’s practice, needed surgery. The study also stated that the most common position to suffer a Jones fracture is the receiver position.
Reed has been the Packers’ primary slot receiver over the last two seasons, a role he will play if he’s able to suit up for the 2025 team. Beyond Reed, rookie first-round pick Matthew Golden and veteran Malik Heath were featured in the slot for Green Bay during the preseason.
Dontayvion Wicks (calf) also returned to practice on Wednesday, which should help with receiver room depth. Like Reed, Wicks was unable to get on the field for preseason action this summer.
