It’s been two years since Chargers wide receiver Joe Reed has scored a touchdown.
The wideout dealt with a foot injury that kept him sidelined in 2021. But after missing his sophomore season, Reed finally found the end zone this past Saturday in the preseason opener against the Rams.
It was a 41-yard touchdown from quarterback Chase Daniel to cap the opening drive. Reed was wide open, and Daniel took advantage of the busted coverage with an accurate deep ball.
Reed finished with four receptions, 61 yards, and a touchdown on six targets. He was also the team’s primary kick returner Saturday night.
“That’s part of the journey,” Reed said. “This is a hard business, a hard League, and every day you have to show up and work.
“So, going from a coaching change my rookie year to being on practice squad IR — just having the opportunity to go out there and compete and to play, any time I’m between those lines, I can’t take it for granted. Having that moment and having a full game today meant a lot to me,” Reed added.
Head coach Brandon Staley was impressed by Reed’s performance and had nothing but praise for his receiver.
“Joe had some really big catches tonight,” Staley said. “He had some possession catches, he had the deep catch, and then he was on the kickoff returner. We’re really going to try and take a long look at him on special teams and see if he can carve a role for himself on offense. He’s improved a lot as a player.”
“He works extremely hard. Coming off the injury last year, I think he’s had just a great mindset in terms of coming back and really being the best version of himself. He’s had a quality camp so far. I’m certainly proud of the way he played tonight,” Staley added.
If Reed, who’s had a solid summer, can continue to be an offensive threat on the field and make plays on special teams the remainder of training camp and in the final two preseason games, he might have a spot on the roster this season.