The Green Bay Packers flexed their muscles on Thursday Night Football with a 27-18 victory over the Washington Commanders. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley brought his best stuff, and the team played complementary football en route to a win that was more lopsided than the score showed.
Unfortunately, it was not all good news for the Packers in Week 2. Young star wide receiver Jayden Reed left the game on the first drive after sustaining a shoulder injury on a would-be touchdown, had it not been called back for an Anthony Belton penalty.
Head coach Matt LaFleur confirmed to reporters after the contest that Reed had broken his collarbone, and he would miss significant time for Green Bay this season. Packers fans have been anxiously awaiting exactly when Reed may return to the lineup.
Packers' Jayden Reed out 6-8 weeks with broken collarbone
Late on Thursday evening, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Reed will be out 6-8 weeks, which could be nearly half of the remaining season. This timeline means that he would return sometime in November.
The Packers open up November with a two-game home stretch against the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles before heading on the road to play the New York Giants. Then, they'll face off against the Minnesota Vikings at home and the Detroit Lions on the road.
Ideally, Reed is back by the Eagles game. This will be a Monday Night Football matchup at Lambeau Field against a great team, so this would be one heck of a reintroduction. Plus, that is just over eight weeks away, so given Rapoport's timeline, he should be back by then.
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It helps that the Packers have an early bye during the 2025 NFL season, as Reed could end up missing just five games if he returns at the six-week mark. But regardless, every game counts in the NFL, and this is a devastating blow for the Green Bay offense.
Fortunately, the team's young wide receiver duo of Matthew Golden and Savion Williams is coming along and finding ways to contribute. The strength of this Packers pass-catching group has always been its versatility and depth, and that was on full display against the Commanders.
Green Bay will sorely miss Reed, but this team has Super Bowl aspirations, and it will be critical for him to heal up the right way, not in the quickest way possible. They have enough to stay afloat without him, but once he returns, the Packers will really start humming.