The Green Bay Packers had another strong victory in Week 2, as they took down the Washington Commanders in a 27-18 win at Lambeau Field.
Amid what were good displays on both sides of the ball, came what looked like a nasty injury to wide receiver, Jayden Reed, who clutched his shoulder in pain after landing on it as he hauled in a touchdown from Jordan Love; a touchdown that was ultimately called back for a holding penalty on rookie, Anthony Belton.
Reed’s right arm was seen in a sling, per reports, as he did not return to the game.
And it seems as if injury that the Packers and fans were hoping it would not be has, sadly, come to pass, as head coach, Matt LaFleur, revealed on Thursday night after the game that Reed had broken his collarbone.
“He’s gonna miss a lot of time, unfortunately,” La Fleur said when asked about an update for Reed, “He broke his collarbone, so he’ll be down for quite some time. We’ll see how fast he can recover and heal. Certainly I would expect him back at some point this season.”
Ian Rapoport reports that the exact figure could, on the optimistic end, look like a 6-8 eight week layoff, allowing Reed to come back for second half of the regular season.
How Will This Impact The Packers’ Offense Moving Forward?
In his presser, LaFleur emphasized how Reed would be missed on the field and in the huddle.
“Obviously it’s a big blow to us,” LaFleur continued, “He’s a guy who’s a catalyst for our offense, and our football team quite frankly. The energy he brings; he’s a dawg. He comes out there and he’s gonna compete, and he plays tough, physical. And he’s a playmaker.”
Despite this, the Packers’ seventh year head coach remains content with the Packers’ offensive options, even with Reed having gone down.
“Fortunately for us, I feel like we have a pretty deep wide receiver room and there’s gonna be opportunities there for other guys to step up and take advantage of.”
Who Will Be The Main Candidates To Take Reed’s Place?
As alluded to by LaFleur, the receiving corps is strong enough in Green Bay to weather the storm of an injury like this.
Dontayvion Wicks is the obvious candidate to come into the starting lineup, after catching 4 passes for 44 yards – more than any other wide receiver on Thursday.
Rookie third round pick, Savion Williams, could also be a candidate to get more offensive snaps alongside 2025 first round pick, Matthew Golden, and fourth year wideout, Romeo Doubs, having shown his explosiveness with two strong rushing plays on the ground.
But the candidate the team will be most excited for is the return of Christian Watson, who could be back with the team and ready for action as early as October, although he will not be available for the Packers in the immediate future.
For now, GB can remain happy with their performance tonight, and they can figure out who the next man up will be on offense over the coming days.
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