Second-year receiver Jayden Reed will open Green Bay Packers training camp on the non-football injury list.
Veteran players arrived for the start of training camp on Sunday. With the first practice of camp set for Monday, Reed will be joined on NFI by valuable backup cornerback Corey Ballentine and offensive tackle Caleb Jones. All three players can begin practicing once cleared by the team.
They are joined by a few other players on the pre-camp injury report.
Rest easy, though. A source said Reed is “totally fine” and should be on the practice field in a few days.
A second-round pick last year, Reed led the Packers in receptions, receiving yards and total touchdown and was tied for first in receiving touchdown last season. Reed broke Sterling Sharpe’s franchise record for most receptions by a rookie. Reed joined Packers legends Sharpe, James Lofton, Billy Howton, Don Hutson and Joe Laws as the only rookies to lead the team in receiving yards.
The numbers showed Reed’s dominance.
Sharpe is one of the best receivers in NFL history; Reed crushed his rookie record of 55 receptions by catching 64.
Among NFL rookie receivers last year, only the Colts’ Josh Downs had more slot receptions than Reed. While Downs had 51 receptions to Reed’s 44, Reed crushed Downs in yards (653 to 594), yards per catch (14.8 to 11.6) and touchdowns (seven to zero).
Among all NFL receivers, Reed in the slot ranked seventh in receptions, third in yards, second in touchdowns, eighth in passer rating when targeted and 10th in yards per route, according to Pro Football Focus.
Whether lined up in the slot or on the perimeter, only Tyreek Hill (14), D.J. Moore (12), George Pickens (11) and DK Metcalf (11) had more 30-yard catches than Reed (10).
“He is a dog. He’s a war daddy,” coach Matt LaFleur said after Reed had 92 total yards and a touchdown in a win vs. the Chargers.
What’s a war daddy? Reed didn’t know, either, but “it’s got to be something good,” he said.
Reed used his explosiveness and route-running ability to consistently get open. He displayed consistently strong hands and showed toughness by playing through injuries for most of the second half of the season.
After a dominant set of offseason practices, Reed emerged as perhaps the best bet to become Green Bay’s No. 1 receiver.
“I always got higher standards for myself,” Reed said during OTAs. “I want to go for 1,000 yards this year plus and have more catches. That’s just for me. That starts with me knowing the offense better and being in the right position. That can make a huge difference because I wouldn’t even feel like I was fully confident last year. So, I think that will make a big difference this year.”
When did he become fully confident?
“I got so many high standards for myself,” he responded. “I never get complacent, but the confidence level is going up and that started to go up probably towards the end of the season.”
A couple #Packers roster projections ahead of Practice 1 on Monday.
From @JacobWestendorf: https://t.co/fMCP3jHots
And myself: https://t.co/IL1Q34gR7g— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 21, 2024
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