It’s been nearly two weeks since Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed posted a photo of himself in uniform on social media, raising hopes that his return to action was imminent. Reed was last seen in a Packers uniform back in Week 2 against Washington, when he suffered a broken collarbone, an injury he would have returned from by now under normal circumstances.
But Reed’s circumstances were not normal–he’d suffered a fracture in his foot in training camp that he’d determined he would play through this season. Once the collarbone injury KO’d him, though, he decided to get the foot fixed, too. Thus, it has been a long waiting game, getting him back on the field.
Reed’s post heightened speculation that his return would happen in Week 12 against the Vikings. That passed, though, and there was hope he would play on Thanksgiving vs. the Lions–Detroit coach Dan Campbell even said his team was preparing for Reed to be active. But he sat out again. Now, Week 14 is fast approaching.
Packers Have Not Yet Cleared Jayden Reed
There’s no further progress to report on Reed, though, coach Matt LaFleur told reporters at his Monday press conference. Because Reed is on injured reserve, he must be cleared by team doctors before he can have his practice window opened, after which the team has three weeks to activate him. His practice window is still not open, though.
“The plan is to see where he’s at at the end of the week, and if he’s good to go, then–he’s gotta get cleared first,” LaFleur said. “I know he’s back to practicing, but he’s ultimately gotta be cleared to go out there and play in a game.”
The downside there, of course, is that Reed is not cleared yet. The upside is that there is still time–he could be cleared and ready to go by Friday.
Receiver Depth Impressive for Packers
The Packers still have an interesting receivers room, one packed with good talent, even if there isn’t a true WR1 in the lot. They’ve not had everyone healthy at the same time, but Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson would be very good WR2s on most teams, and rookie Matthew Golden has struggled with injuries and missed three of the last four games.
Thanksgiving saw a breakout for Dontayvion Wicks, who caught six passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. That was the second-most yardage in his career, and his third two-score game in three seasons with the Packers. Wicks had struggled with drops at different times this year, but appeared to put the problem behind him.
Reed had a team-high 64 catches for 793 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2023 and came back with 55 catches for 857 yards and six touchdowns in 2024. Questions persist about whether Reed is, or could ever develop into, a true WR1 on the roster, but the fact is, he was the most dependable option on the roster coming into 2025.
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