The Green Bay Packers are dealing with more than a shaky 1-2 start to the 2026 NFL season. Their wide receiver room just took another hit, and this one looks serious.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jayden Reed is being placed on injured reserve because of a neck injury. Schefter reported that Reed is “out indefinitely, if not for the season, as he continues his recovery.”
Reed’s own social media post only added to the concern. On Instagram, he wrote: "God will use the unusual to do the unexpected... 11 out."
That message didn’t offer much detail, but the “11 out” part strongly suggests the Packers are bracing for a long absence. With Schefter describing the injury as indefinite and potentially season-ending, it would not be a shock if Reed doesn’t play again in 2026.
It’s a brutal development for Green Bay, and especially for Reed. He’s been one of the more dangerous slot options on the roster, and he looked positioned for a bigger role this season given the team’s issues on the ground and the way the defense has played.
Reed’s 2026 season was cut short after he played all of Week 1 and only part of Week 2 before the neck injury hit. In that span, he caught four of eight targets for 24 yards.
That came on the heels of an injury-shortened 2025 season, when he finished with 19 catches on 22 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown, plus 28 rushing yards on three carries.
For Reed, it’s now two straight years with a major chunk of the season lost. For the Packers, it’s another blow to an offense already under pressure.
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Still, the question is whether the Bucks can afford to add another backcourt piece without crowding the room even more. Their guard group is already tight, so any move for Dillingham would have to be justified by the long view rather than short-term minutes. For a team trying to balance depth, development and fit, the decision is less about whether the talent is interesting than whether the squeeze in the backcourt is worth it. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Porter Jr. Wants To Stay But Bucks Face A Backcourt Squeeze
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The complication is what comes next. Tyler Herro and Ryan Rollins are also on track to be free agents next year, leaving Milwaukee with a crowded and potentially fluid guard picture as it weighs roster priorities and future flexibility. Porter could end up as part of that mix in a veteran presence role, or he could become a name to monitor if the Bucks decide a different backcourt alignment makes more sense. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Porter Jr. Could Quietly Swing The Bucks Backcourt Plan
Kevin Porter Jr. spent 38 games with the Bucks last season and turned in some of the best production of his career, enough to keep him in the conversation as Milwaukee sorts out its backcourt plans for the year ahead. At media day, Porter said he is healthy entering the upcoming season, an important starting point for a player whose path with the team has already shown signs of fit and upside.
The next step may be less about where he stands on the roster and more about how the Bucks use him. The coaching staff is considering Porter as a bench option to run the second unit, a role that could put the ball in his hands more often and give him the freedom to drive his numbers even higher. For a team looking to sharpen its guard rotation, that kind of quiet adjustment could end up mattering more than it first appears. [Read more 🡒]