Jordan Reed has decided to retire from football after attempting a comeback last season. Reed, 30, who battled numerous injuries that damaged a promising start to his career, is walking away from the game after eight total seasons in the league -- one of which (2019) he sat out due to injury. His last was with the San Francisco 49ers in 2020, while the other six he played in came with the Washington Football Team.
Head injuries were the biggest downfall of Reed's career. Reed suffered seven concussions during his NFL career, the last one forcing him to miss the entire 2019 season. In speaking with ESPN's John Keim on Monday, Reed revealed that he visited Orlando's Plasticity Center for a brain scan in the winter. He said that based on the results of the scan, it was recommended he retire.
"I was pretty sure I was going to keep playing; I was feeling good about where I was at," Reed said. "But then I had some lingering effects and sought out professional help to get diagnosed. They told me it was not a good idea to keep playing. I agreed with them."
A third-round draft pick by Washington in 2013, Reed emerged as one of the game's top receiving tight ends. Reed recorded a career-high 87 catches for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2015, finishing tied for second among all tight ends in touchdown catches. His 152 catches from 2015 and '16 ranked fifth among NFL tight ends and 17 touchdowns were second at his position. He earned his lone Pro Bowl selection in 2016 after being snubbed from the all-star event the prior season.
Reed attempted a comeback last season with the 49ers, catching 26 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns as the No. 2 behind George Kittle. He finished his career with 355 receptions for 3,602 yards and and 28 touchdowns. He finished with five 100-yard receiving games in his career, the last coming in the 2015 NFC wild card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers (nine catches, 120 yards, touchdown).
Reed has the 10th-most receptions (329) for a player in Washington history, despite playing just 65 of a possible 112 games.
