The Green Bay Packers have their wide receiver back in town.
They still do not know when, or whether, they will have him back on the field this season.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that Jayden Reed has returned to Green Bay and is undergoing a series of tests after the neck injury that cut short his afternoon against the New York Jets. Asked whether Reed could play again this year, LaFleur declined to make a prediction.
“It’s way too early for that right now,” LaFleur said, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “He’s got a lot going on.”
That leaves the Packers with two different clocks to watch, the short turnaround before Thursday’s home opener against the Atlanta Falcons and a far more consequential wait for clarity on Reed’s health.
As of now, LaFleur has no return date in mind. Green Bay listed Reed with a neck injury and estimated him as a nonparticipant in Tuesday’s walkthrough.
LaFleur’s Update Leaves Reed’s Return Unresolved
Reed’s day against the Jets lasted only two offensive snaps.
He caught a short pass and took a hard hit before medical personnel immobilized him and took him from the field on a cart. The sight brought teammates over from the Packers’ sideline as the game paused at MetLife Stadium.
After Green Bay’s 20-17 overtime victory, LaFleur said Reed had movement in all his extremities.
The receiver remained in the New York area overnight for further evaluation and later told supporters he was doing much better. His return to Wisconsin is another step in that process, though the tests have to determine what comes next.
The injury has also produced conflicting descriptions. A Monday report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter called it a back injury. LaFleur identified it as a neck injury Tuesday, matching the designation on the Packers’ injury report. The team hasn’t announced a diagnosis past that designation or set a timetable for Reed’s return.
The uncertainty hits a player Green Bay committed to for the long term in April.
Reed signed a three-year, $50.25 million extension after injuries interrupted his 2025 season. He had surgery on a broken collarbone and a foot injury last September, then returned to practice later in the year.
Packers Must Adjust Passing Game While Reed Undergoes Tests
For quarterback Jordan Love, Reed’s absence takes away a receiver who can turn a quick throw into a significant gain and work across the middle of the field.
Green Bay’s own account of his first two seasons credited him with at least 750 receiving yards and 100 rushing yards in each year. His role has been broader than a traditional slot receiver’s.
The Packers did find other ways to move the ball after he left Sunday.
Matthew Golden caught four passes for 58 yards, including a 14-yard gain on the winning overtime drive. Christian Watson scored in the fourth quarter, while Skyy Moore supplied a 63-yard punt return that helped set up the tying field goal, via the team’s game recap.
Moore is an alternative for snaps in the slot, though his return work and Reed’s place in the offense present LaFleur with more than a simple one-for-one substitution.
Tight end Tucker Kraft and the receivers can help distribute the touches as the coaches prepare for Atlanta. Green Bay also lost starting right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele to a knee injury against the Jets, adding more complication to its short week.
In the end, certain football decisions will come rapidly.
But Reed’s timeline will take as long as the evaluations require.
Packers Provide Jayden Reed Neck Injury Update Ahead of Falcons Game