Report: Redskins not expecting to have TE Jordan Reed for Week 1 vs. Eagles
The Washington Redskins are likely to be without top tight end Jordan Reed against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
Jordan Reed has spent the past couple of weeks in concussion protocol stemming from a hit he took in the third preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. On the play, Falcons safety Keanu Neal hit Reed squarely in the head on what appeared to be a dirty hit. The hit went unpenalized and Reed popped up right after it, but later in the game, concussion symptoms did appear. And that placed him in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
While the Redskins were hopeful that Reed would be able to play in Week 1 of the 2019 NFL season, there were always doubts about his availability. After all, it was Reed’s seventh recorded concussion, so the team was going to play it safe with him. Plus, he would have to pass the NFL’s concussion protocol in order to get back on the field.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, the Redskins aren’t expecting to have Reed active for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Rapoport confirmed as much on Twitter.
The #Redskins are not expecting to have TE Jordan Reed (concussion) tomorrow for the opener, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. They promoted TE J. P. Holtz from the practice squad.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 7, 2019
As Rapoport noted, the elevation of J.P. Holtz from the practice squad to the active roster was a telltale sign that Reed wasn’t going to be able to play. Our own Ian Cummings noted as much earlier in the day when he said the following in a story about Holtz’s promotion.
"With Holtz being promoted to the roster, indications are pointing toward Reed being inactive on Sunday. Reports suggested that he was nearing the end phase of the concussion protocol, but at this point, he’d be rushed back if he played. For Reed, who has never played a full season in Washington and has a long history of concussions, playing it safe is the best option. Holtz’s promotion also opens up a practice squad spot, although the team may keep it open to maintain flexibility.For Holtz, his promotion is a valuable opportunity, as he’ll likely be active for the team’s season debut. Holtz has been in the NFL since 2016, when he went undrafted out of the University of Pittsburgh, and while he’s spent time with the Browns and the Redskins, he’s never logged a regular season snap."
While Holtz hasn’t played in the regular season, he has spent each of the last two preseasons with Washington. He has been an excellent blocker as an H-back and could give the team a legitimate fullback option as long as he’s on the roster. And as he showcased this preseason, he can catch the ball as well. So, perhaps he will prove that he deserves a spot on the roster or at least that he can be a quality depth player moving forward.
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Not having Reed will certainly hurt against the Eagles. One of their lone weaknesses on defense could be their ability to cover tight ends, but Vernon Davis isn’t likely to exploit that quite as much as Reed could have. Moving forward, we’ll keep an eye on Reed, but it didn’t seem that he was too far off from returning. So, perhaps he will be able to play in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys.