Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed has been cleared from the NFL’s concussion protocol, according Ben Standig of The Athletic.
This past weekend, Redskins head coach Ron Rivera revealed Reed remained in the concussion protocol six months after initially landing in the protocol stemming from a helmet-to-helmet hit during a preseason game.
Reed has seven documented concussion during his football career. Along with numerous injuries throughout his career, many suspected Reed would contemplate retirement. However, that does not appear to be the case. According to ESPN’s John Keim, Reed “100 percent” wants to continue playing.
Reed’s desire to continue his playing career comes as reports suggest the Redskins are set to cut ties with the talented but oft-injured tight end. Releasing Reed would save $8.5 million against the salary cap for Washington in 2020.
Presumably, money isn’t the only reasoning behind the Redskins wanting to move on. Liability could be an issue. Reed has never played a full 16-game schedule during his seven seasons with the team.
Injuries have derailed each of his campaigns. While he has had previous dragging issues like his toe, the concussions are most alarming. The hit he received by Keanu Neal was huge but one can assume the culminating concussions played a significant role as to why he was in the league’s protocol for six months.
The Redskins are in dire need of depth at tight end, with Vernon Davis retiring during Super Bowl Sunday. Plus, the team missed out on signing free agent Greg Olsen.
It’s hard to imagine Rivera is comfortable entering the season with Jeremy Sprinkle as the lead tight end. But it’s also hard to imagine NFL teams, including the Redskins lining up to take a risk on Reed with his concussion history. We shall see.
