Former All-Pro TE, Jordan Reed, has detailed his second terrifying accident in just two years. The former Washington Redskins player sat down with ESPN to recount his harrowing experiences.
In 2019, Reed suffered a concussion during a preseason game that would ultimately keep him off the field for the entire season. According to Reed, he was cleared to play by team doctors just days after the injury, but he continued to experience severe headaches. He was eventually diagnosed with Post-Concussion Syndrome and missed the entire 2019 season as a result.
Reed was subsequently released from his contract with the Redskins and signed with the San Francisco 49ers ahead of the 2020 season. However, just a few weeks into training camp, Reed suffered another injury that would keep him out of action for several weeks. This time, it wasn’t a concussion but a knee injury that required surgery.
But Reed’s accident wasn’t the result of a hard tackle or collision on the field. In fact, he wasn’t even participating in a team activity at the time. Instead, Reed was reportedly playing with his son in his backyard when he slipped on his wet grass and fell awkwardly, tearing his meniscus.
“It was crazy,” Reed told ESPN. “I was just playing with my son. We have this little thing where we wrestle around, and I just made a quick move and slipped a little bit. I had on some [tennis] shoes, and it had rained the night before, so the grass was kind of slick. I just kind of twisted it a little bit.”
For Reed, this second injury was even more frustrating than the first. “It was just so disappointing, because I had worked so hard to come back from the concussion,” he said. “And then, to have this happen in the offseason, when I wasn’t even playing football, was just so frustrating.”
Reed eventually returned to the field for the 49ers, but he was limited to just ten games due to various injuries. He was released by the team in August of 2021.
Reed’s story is a reminder of the dangers that athletes face both on and off the field. While football players are at risk of suffering concussions, broken bones, and other injuries during games and practices, they can also be injured in seemingly innocuous situations, like playing with their kids in the backyard.
Despite the risks, Reed says that he doesn’t regret his decision to play football. “I wouldn’t change anything,” he said. “I love the game of football, and I’ve had so many great experiences because of it. It’s just one of those things where injuries are a part of the game, and you have to learn how to deal with them.”
