Packers receiver Jayden Reed receives bad news about neck injury after leaving Week 2 game on spinal board
The last time anyone saw Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed, he was lying motionless on the turf at MetLife Stadium after suffering a severe blow that prompted trainers, doctors and stadium emergency personnel to spring into action, fearing the worst.
Fortunately, the worst did not happen.
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Reed was hospitalized overnight and eventually posted on his Instagram account that he was “doing much better.” He had movement in his extremities.
SCARY SCENE AS JAYDEN REED TRAINS ON SPINE BOARD DURING THE PACKERS’ GAME AGAINST THE JETS
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is carried off the field with an apparent injury during the first quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on September 20, 2026. (IMAGINE IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
But it’s not all good news.
Reed is out for the rest of the season, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday. And Reed will need neck surgery, the coach added.
“It will be a season-ender,” LaFleur said during his press conference. “Yes, unfortunately he will be absent. He let me know yesterday. He will also have to undergo surgery.”
The coach said Reed will be out for “a while,” but doesn’t believe it’s career-ending surgery. This optimism depends on the operation and rehabilitation progressing as hoped.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed runs with the ball during an NFL football game against the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Sunday, September 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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It also depends on whether Reed will eventually weigh the risks of playing again against the risk of suffering another neck injury and what that would mean. But Reed is generally a highly motivated player who loves the game.
“It’s hard for him,” LaFleur said. “He’s a guy that, you know, wants to be on the field and compete. And certainly, I think any time you go through a situation like that, it’s a pretty scary deal.
“…I didn’t even realize the magnitude of it at the time, but certainly when I was there with them and saw what was going on, it shocks you, it shakes you up a little bit, because you never want to see anyone in that position, let alone one of your own guys.”
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur runs onto the field before a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin on September 24, 2026. (Getty Images)
Reed will be placed on the injured reserve list immediately. And he will be missed beyond his pass-catching abilities.
“(He’s) the guy that you have a lot of love for and brings so much to the football team in this organization, right down to the locker room,” LaFleur said. “He’s an energetic guy and we’ll definitely miss him.”
Reed posted a message on his Instagram account suggesting that he is not spiritually defeated. But he is indeed challenged.
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“God will use the unusual to bring about the unexpected… 11 releases🙏🏾,” he wrote.
Reed is only 26 years old and four seasons into his NFL career. His first two seasons, in 2022 and 2023, were his best, as he caught a total of 119 passes and scored 14 touchdowns in 23 starts.
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