Injuries have haunted the Green Bay Packers all summer, leaving several starters in a race against time to play in a must-win Week 1 showdown against the Detroit Lions.
Wide receiver Jayden Reed is among them. He missed the entire preseason due to a foot injury that required a walking boot. While the Packers' leading receiver returned to practice this week, an update from Jason Wilde of Channel 3000 in Madison paints a gloomy picture.
"Jayden Reed's injury is a problematic injury. He intends to play through it, but from what I understand, it's a Jones fracture, which is problematic." Wilde told ESPN Milwaukee. "It's going to take a lot of taking care of it, and being careful with it."
Packers receiver Jayden Reed is dealing with a 'problematic' foot injury that seemed to slip under the radar
It's newsworthy and somewhat surprising. All indications seemed to be positive about Reed's status for Week 1 and beyond, but Wilde's reporting sounds far more pessimistic.
Fans understandably panicked when they saw Reed wearing a walking boot before the preseason opener, but most injury updates didn't sound too alarming. Wilde might be the first to report about a potential Jones fracture and Reed's injury being "problematic."
It aligns with reporting from Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, who said Reed still isn't pain-free when running routes.
"Reed says he started running routes a few days ago," Wood writes. "Today was his first practice back since being in a walking boot. Still can't run routes pain free, feels it mostly when he plants foot and cuts. He says Week 1 still uncertain, but significant step returning to practice."
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It sounds like Reed is going to play through the pain, but foot injuries are always concerning.
The Packers have high hopes for Reed, who showed breakout potential in the first half of last season. In the opening nine games, he touched the ball 58 times for 730 yards and four touchdowns. He battled injuries and inconsistent play after that, making just a further 28 touches for 290 all-purpose yards and three scores in the remaining eight games.
They need to carefully manage Reed's injury. Hopefully, he can get back to 100 percent in the near future, but Wilde's update offers a bleak outlook.
It could also explain why the Packers kept six wide receivers on the 53-man roster and three others on the practice squad. The team is easing Dontayvion Wicks back from a calf injury, while Christian Watson will miss at least four games on the PUP list.
The last thing the Packers need is a long-term issue for Reed. Hopefully, his injury isn't as problematic as the report indicates.