The Green Bay Packers are poised to get some reinforcements for their banged-up wide receiver room. Currently, the team has six wideouts on the 53-man roster, and five of those were listed as limited in Thursday’s practice ahead of the team’s Week 12 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. The only receiver practicing in full was Malik Heath, one of the last men on the depth chart at the position, and even Bo Melton — who is formally listed as a cornerback — was limited as well.
When Friday arrived, however,
the Packers got a welcome face back at practice. Jayden Reed, who has been on injured reserve since fracturing his collarbone in Week 2, finally rejoined the team for practice. The Packers now have a 21-day window in which to return Reed back to the 53-man roster or else he will need to be shut down for the season.
Head coach Matt LaFleur suggested earlier in the week that the Packers would prefer to have a player coming off injured reserve get a full week’s worth of practice before suiting up for a game. On Wednesday, he said the following:
“Generally speaking, you would open that window early in the week so we get the full benefit, even if it’s just to be able to participate in some of the walkthrough things where it’s all mental.”
LaFleur’s qualifier there, “generally speaking,” has turned out to be important for Reed. It does seem to suggest that Reed would be hard-pressed to be active and ready to go on Sunday against the Vikings, but perhaps a return on Thanksgiving Day against the Lions could be a possibility. At the very latest, Reed’s return today should put him back on the roster in time for the Packers’ game against the Chicago Bears in Week 14.
How Reed will be used in his return to the field will be fascinating to watch for. The Packers’ use of 11 personnel has increased greatly after tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL a few weeks ago, which suggests that there will be more opportunities for Reed to see the field as a slot receiver. Still, the Packers have used a heavy dose of Matthew Golden and Dontayvion Wicks in the slot, and Reed’s return would likely cut into those players’ snaps somewhat.
In any case, Reed led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards each of the past two years, and he was the team’s leading wide receiver in yards after the catch each season as well. Reed simply provides a YAC ability that is unmatched among Packers wideouts, something that should be important now that the team’s primary YAC generator, Kraft, is out for the season.
