Matt LaFleur said we'll have to wait until noon on Thursday to find out. Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell was less cryptic and believes he will play.
Jayden Reed's return is imminent, and if he's out there on Thanksgiving, he will add a new layer to the Green Bay Packers' offense and potentially become the Lions' worst nightmare.
Reports earlier this month indicated that the Packers had targeted either Thanksgiving or next week's game against the Chicago Bears for Reed's return. Green Bay opened his 21-day practice window last week, another clear sign that he's almost ready.
Jayden Reed's return could change everything in Packers' heavyweight showdown with Lions
Reed broke his collarbone in the Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders, requiring surgery. The positive is that it also allowed him to get a foot injury fixed, which means Reed should return healthier than he was at the beginning of the season. That's a significant boost for Green Bay's offense so late in the season.
The Packers lost their only true yards-after-catch threat following Tucker Kraft's season-ending injury. Defenses are playing soft coverages, daring the Packers to run the ball or throw short, and then rallying to make a tackle.
Reed can punish them for that. Like Kraft, he excels with the ball in open space, with 729 of his 1,695 career receiving yards coming after the catch.
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And he's had plenty of success against Detroit's defense. In his career, Reed has caught 15 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns versus the Lions. He led the Packers in catches when the two teams met in Week 1 while also finding the end zone.
Matt LaFleur can use Reed to stretch defenses horizontally or to attack the middle of the field. He will likely resume his role as the starting slot receiver ahead of Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks. It will also allow Golden to play more snaps on the boundary, which could bring his game-changing speed into play downfield.
It's easy to forget how important Reed is to this offense.
Since the start of the Jordan Love era in 2023, Romeo Doubs is the only Packers pass-catcher with more receiving yards (1,797) than Reed (1,695), and that's because Reed has played six fewer games. From 2023 to 2024, Reed led the Packers in receiving and had 375 more yards than any other player.
The Lions' injury-hit defense struggled to stop the Packers in Week 1, and they had almost no answer for Jameis Winston last week.
Reed's status remains uncertain, but if he returns on Thursday, he can instantly become the Lions' worst nightmare.