Reports: Jordan Reed not fully healthy, playing through toe fracture

Jordan Reed started training camp on the PUP list with a toe injury. According to reports, the Redskins tight end is still dealing with the malady.

Jordan Reed’s health has always been a concern since he came into the league in 2013. The star tight end has never played in a full 16 game season due to a various number of injuries. He has dealt with concussions, hamstring issues, shoulder problems, and this offseason, a toe injury. Not much was known about the toe injury, but on eve of the Redskins season opener, news about it came to light.

According to multiple reports, Reed is dealing with a fractured toe that is going to linger throughout the season. The injury is very painful, and Reed is going to have to manage his pain on a week to week basis. This is obviously awful news for the Redskins, as they desperately need Reed to play well in 2017 season.

Reed is one of the top tight ends in the league when healthy. Since 2013, Reed has been a major weapon for the Redskins, and he was a featured member of their passing attack last season. In some of the team’s games, Reed was the main source of offensive firepower, like his inspired Thanksgiving performance against the Cowboys during the 2016 season. He has built a strong rapport with Kirk Cousins, and figured to be one of his top two options this year.

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If Reed isn’t fully healthy, there is going to be a lot more pressure on Cousins and Jamison Crowder. Reed and Crowder are essentially the only two key starters returning from last year’s terrific passing offense. With Terrelle Pryor struggling to get on the same page as Cousins and Josh Doctson battling injuries, Reed and Crowder were expected to be the best options for Cousins.

Without Reed, Crowder could see even more targets as he looks to prove himself to be the No. 1 receiver for the team. That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing for the team, but Cousins would lose his security blanket over the middle of the field.

If Reed is limited or has to miss time due to his toe during the season, then veteran backup Vernon Davis would step into the starting role. Davis is a fine player who had a great deal of success in his first season as a Redskin, but he is a 33-year-old play, so his performance could drop off at any time. Behind him, the Redskins have veteran Niles Paul, a solid player who is an injury risk, and the unproven rookie Jeremy Sprinkle. The options have upside, but none are close to as good as Reed.

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It will be interesting to see how the Redskins handle the Reed situation. It may behoove them to get him some rest early in the season to let his toe heal and get him to 100 percent. But the team has showed in the past that they are not always willing to sit their stars if they play through injury. Make sure to watch Reed during the season opener to see if he looks healthy enough to play.

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