Lost in all of the hoopla of the Green Bay Packers' blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons is that their receiving corps is not 100 percent heading into the 2025 NFL season.
Christian Watson is recovering from a torn ACL and will certainly miss some time early on, and top receiver Jayden Reed has been battling a fracture in his foot.
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Reed was in a walking boot for the Packers' first preseason game, but all indications are that he will be playing in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. However, is Reed taking a significant risk by attempting to play through the injury?
Physical therapist Matthew Betz has revealed some serious concerns about Reed going into the regular season, noting that the 25-year-old could avoid surgery so long as his injury is given "adequate time to heal."
The most worrisome aspect is that Betz feels that Reed is at high risk of re-injury if the fracture occurred recently.
"Highly, highly volatile situation heading into the season," Betz posted on X.
Reed hauled in 55 receptions for 857 yards and six touchdowns last year, averaging a robust 15.6 yards per catch. Green Bay fans were frustrated over Reed's disappearances in big games last season, though, so he definitely has a lot to prove this fall.
The Michigan State product was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and enjoyed a surprisingly impressive rookie campaign, catching 64 passes for 793 yards and eight scores.
Reed has missed just one game thus far in his brief professional career, and he seems fairly adamant on not missing any time this year, either. But it seems pretty obvious that the youngster is taking quite a risk right off the bat.
The Packers won 11 games in 2024 and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but now after acquiring Parsons, Green Bay could be seen as the favorite to win the NFC North. Of course, Reed's health will be a major determining factor in the Packers' success.
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