Matt LaFleur Confirms The Worst For Receiver After In-Game Injury
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.
Eagles Named Top Trade Partner for Browns $100 Million Playmaker
To say cornerback Adoree’ Jackson had a rough debut with the Philadelphia Eagles is putting it mildly.
Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, Jackson was targeted seven times, allowing five catches for 103 yards. He was beaten badly on a 32-yard strike from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb, drew a flag for pass interference and repeatedly let receivers turn short gains into chunk plays by giving up the sideline.
Bleeding Green Nation’s Shamus Clancy raised an interesting possibility at corner for the Eagles and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio if things don’t go well in Cleveland: Denzel Ward.
“It’s too early in the year to see what teams may want to part with quality players before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, but if anyone’s going to be active working the phone, it’s going to be Howie Roseman,” Clancy wrote on September 11, adding:
“Is everyone hoping the Browns suck like usual and they send Denzel Ward here for a third-round pick?”
A Look Back at Ward’s Career With the Cleveland Browns
A former No. 4 overall pick for the Browns in 2018, Ward has been named to four Pro Bowls, including back-to-back trips in 2023-2024.
In 2024, he led the NFL in passes defensed (19, a career high), also finishing with 49 tackles, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 16 games.
He has amassed 96 passes defended and 17 interceptions over his eight-year career, playing in 96 games (93 starts). At 28, he’s still in his prime, and his sticky coverage has made him one of the league’s most well-respected corners.
The Browns likely don’t want to part with him, but if their season turns into a dumpster fire — which it very well could, considering their current QB situation — trading Ward is a definitel possibility.
Adoree’ Jackson Had Rough Outing Week 1
Despite his bad game against the Cowboys, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni isn’t throwing Jackson to the wolves.
“Obviously, we gave up the three scoring drives early on in the game, and it’s– this is the greatest team sport there is, so to say, ‘Hey, this happened because of this player,’ it’s not realistic in the game of football,” Sirianni said when asked about Jackson’s bad game.
“I thought he had moments where he had good challenges and obviously he gave up a couple plays also. It’s never, ‘Hey, this happened because of this.’ Never in this game, never in this sport, but again, like everybody in that football game, you had some positives, you had some negatives.”
Should the Philadelphia Eagles Try to Trade for Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward?
Nick Cammett/Getty ImagesShould the Philadelphia Eagles attempt to trade for CB Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns?
The numbers would have to work for both teams in a trade for Ward, who signed a five-year $100.5 million extension that runs through 2027. He has a $14 million cap hit in 2025, but that number balloons to $32 million in 2026 and $30 million in 2027. Those numbers can change, of course, as Roseman is a master of the salary cap.
Ward’s concussion history should also be part of the evaluation and discussion. He has suffered at least six documented concussions since entering the league, and that’s beyond serious. He’s fine at the start of the 2025 season, but any conversation about a trade would have to include his medicals.
Bottom line: the Eagles already have a championship-caliber defense. Add Ward, and the secondary gets a lot more scary. If Roseman wants one more blue-chip player for Fangio, Ward could be it.
