Tag: Jordan Reed

Good Reed: Jordan Reed scores 2nd TD vs. Jets

The San Francisco 49ers got a huge first half from TE Jordan Reed against the New York Jets.

The Jordan Reed signing is paying big dividends for the 49ers with George Kittle out. Reed had a monster first half vs. the Jets with six catches, 47 yards and two touchdowns. His second TD came right at the end of the half and put San Francisco up 21-3.

It’s been a long time since Reed had a multi-touchdown game. His last one came Oct. 23, 2017 when he was with Washington.

WATCH: 49ers tight end Jordan Reed takes it to the house on 18-yard TD catch

Former Gators have been making waves in the NFL recently and on this Week 2 Sunday the highlights are rolling in with Jordan Reed’s catch.

Former Gators have been making waves in the National Football League recently and early on this Week 2 Sunday the highlights are rolling in. The latest former UF player getting in on the action is San Francisco 49ers tight end Jordan Reed.

In the second quarter of a game against the New York Jets — who feature a pair of superb former Florida defensive backs in Marcus Maye and Brian Poole — Reed caught a pass from Niners quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo at about the 14-yard line near the left sideline on a play that began at the 18-yard marker and scampered into the end zone with a leaping dive towards the left endzone pylon. The touchdown added six points to San Fran’s 7-3 lead and kicker Robbie Gould added a PAT to up the score to 14-7.

Reed is now in his seventh year in the NFL and first with the 49ers after spending his first six professional seasons with the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins.

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He’s back: Jordan Reed scores 1st TD since 2018

Jordan Reed gave the San Francisco 49ers a 14-3 lead vs. the New York Jets.

Jordan Reed made his return to the end zone Sunday after going more than 600 days without a touchdown. He took a short throw from Jimmy Garoppolo and turned it into an 18-yard score thanks to some nice moves after the catch.

That play right there is why the 49ers brought Reed in. He’s an exceptional athlete who gives them another weapon when George Kittle is unavailable. His first TD since November 2018 gave San Francisco a 14-3 lead at MetLife Stadium.

Four 49ers who have gone more than 600 days since last game will play vs. Cardinals

Trent Williams, Jerick McKinnon, Trent Taylor and Jerick McKinnon will all return to the field Sunday for the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers are on a redemption tour after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIV. A quartet of players on their roster are on something of a redemption tour of their own.

Offensive tackle Trent Williams, tight end Jordan Reed, wide receiver Trent Taylor and running back Jerick McKinnon should all suit up and play for San Francisco in Sunday’s season opener vs. the Arizona Cardinals at Levi’s Stadium. As ESPN’s Nick Wagoner pointed out on Twitter, none of those four player have played a regular-season game in the last 600-plus days.

Williams and Taylor have both gone 623 days since they last played in the regular season. For Reed it’s been 644 days. McKinnon is at a whopping 966 days.

Both Williams and Taylor both played in their teams’ 2018 season finales. Williams went on to miss all of 2019 due to a cancerous growth on his skull. Taylor suffered a Jones fracture before the first preseason game last year and wound up missing the entire season.

Reed was active for Washington’s Week 14 game in 2018, but a toe strain in that Week 14 contest sidelined him for the rest of the year. He was on track to return last season before a concussion – his seventh – in a preseason game vs. the Falcons forced him to sit out the season.

McKinnon’s story is a familiar one for 49ers fans. He signed with San Francisco before the 2018 season to be a focal point of their offense. A torn ACL a week before the regular season was set to begin ended his year. Complications with that surgically repaired ACL in last year’s training camp required another surgery that ended his 2019 campaign. He hasn’t played since Week 17 of the 2017 season.

Now all four are aiming for a different story this year. They’re all fully healthy and went through training camp without any major issues. If Williams, Taylor, Reed and McKinnon can stay healthy and effective this season – they’ll get their redemption while working as vital pieces in the 49ers quest for their own.

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Jordan Reed gets heavy workload with George Kittle out

Jordan Reed could be a much-needed weapon for the 49ers’ passing game.

George Kittle missed Friday’s practice for precautionary reasons. His absence opened the door for tight end Jordan Reed, who this week returned to full practices after missing the first couple weeks to work his way into full sessions.  He took advantage of his additional opportunities.

Reed caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Jimmy Garoppolo during team drills, and reports from the 49ers’ facility indicate Reed has been difficult to cover since he suited up earlier in the week.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, who spent one season with Reed in Washington, saw the benefit of added work for the oft-injured tight end, but tempered his praise.

“I thought there was some good things, some bad things,” Shanahan told reporters after Friday’s session. “He did as many reps as we’ve done today, so it was good to get a lot of it on film and it was good to get Jordan out there more than he has been out there. I thought it was probably his most reps, at least back-to-back reps. I thought he made some good plays, some of the obvious ones you guys saw and missed a couple also.”

Reed hasn’t played in a regular season NFL game since Week 14 of the 2018 season. He missed all of last year with his seventh concussion. San Francisco added him with the hopes he’d be an additional dynamic pass-catching tight end to pair with George Kittle – something they lacked a season ago. Shanahan indicated to reporters that having such a player would go a long way toward helping the offense take a step forward.

“Yeah, it would be huge. With George having limited reps and everything, it’s given other guys an opportunity to step up,” Shanahan said. “It’s good to see when guys get that opportunity, they’re taking advantage of it. Jordan had a great day today. He could do things in space and make guys miss, and the other guys, Charlie [Woerner], Chase [Harrell], those guys have been stepping up, too. So, it’s a group effort there at tight end and you’re happy to see guys take advantage of it.”

Shanahan’s praise of Reed prior to complimenting Woerner, a rookie sixth-round pick, and Harrell, an undrafted rookie, tells what the coach is hoping to get from Reed.

While Harrell and Woerner may be making strides, Reed’s ability to move like a wide receiver with the size of a tight end makes him a unique offensive weapon. Most observations about Reed from reporters have been about how uncoverable he looks.

The 49ers won’t need Reed to do a ton in their offense, especially if Woerner, Harrell or Ross Dwelley are taking on a bulk of the blocking responsibilities. Having a versatile pass-catching tight end could unfold a new layer of the 49ers’ offense, and Friday was just another day of Reed showing that he can be that player as long as he’s healthy.

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Arik Armstead returns to practice, K’Waun Williams and Ben Garland out

Arik Armstead is back, but K’Waun Williams and Ben Garland remain out of 49ers training camp.

The 49ers injury woes in training camp continued Thursday, but came with a bit of good news.

Defensive lineman Arik Armstead is back on the field according to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Armstead was working through a back issue and missed the first four padded practices. He led the team in sacks last season and his versatility along the defensive line makes him a key player for San Francisco’s defense. Having him fully healthy will be a priority going into the year.

While Armstead made his return, cornerback K’Waun Williams and center Ben Garland remained out per the Athletic’s Matt Barrows.

Williams is dealing with a calf injury that is expected to sideline him for two-to-three weeks. That should put him on track to return for Week 1 though.

Garland is nursing an ankle injury that’s expected to keep him out a couple weeks according to general manager John Lynch. He took over the starting center job last year when Weston Richburg went down with a knee injury and looks to be in line to begin the year in the same role with Richburg still rehabbing his knee. The 49ers added free agent center Hroniss Grasu to fill in with Garland sidelined.

Barrows also noted tight end Jordan Reed is still working individually on a side field. Reed is expected to return to full practices soon though after missing all of last season with a concussion.

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Jordan Reed nearing return to full practice for 49ers

49ers TE Jordan Reed should be in pads as early as the second week of full practice.

The 49ers offense should be getting one of its newest weapons back in action soon. Head coach Kyle Shanahan on Monday said the plan is to have tight end Jordan Reed in full practices during the second week of training camp.

Reed began the full portion of camp on a side field easing into football activities after missing all of last season with his seventh-career concussion. Injuries have defined the talented tight end’s career. Reed has never played 16 games in a season since joining the league in 2013, and only reached the 14-game mark once.

San Francisco would become even more dynamic with Reed on the field, but given his injury history it makes sense to ease him into action. He’s a game-changing player when he’s healthy and producing, so it behooves the 49ers from a football standpoint to ensure he’s as physically ready as possible before suiting him up for contact.

While it’s not a given Reed will be ready to go Week 1, a return for the second week of full practices would be a good sign about his readiness heading into the season.

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49ers officially sign TE Jordan Reed

The 49ers made the Jordan Reed signing official on Sunday.

The 49ers on Sunday made the signing of tight end Jordan Reed official. An announcement came about a week after general manager John Lynch said in his pre-season press conference that the team was going to acquire the free-agent tight end. The signing gives San Francisco 79 players on their training camp roster.

Talent and fit aren’t really pressing questions with this acquisition. The 49ers need a better pass-catching option behind George Kittle, and Reed is an elite athlete with explosive play-making ability as a receiver. He’s not a great blocker, but he can effectively line up as a big-bodied receiver and generate mismatches through his versatility. 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has experience with Reed from their time together in Washington. Reed was a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, which was Shanahan’s final year as Washington’s offensive coordinator.

In their lone season together Reed posted 499 yards and three touchdowns on 45 receptions in nine games. That’s a 16-game pace of 80 receptions, 887 yards and five touchdowns.

What sticks out in the lone season Shanahan and Reed were together is his nine games. Injuries, and specifically concussions, have been a problem for the tight end. He’s played 65 games since getting drafted seven years ago. He’s yet to play 16 games and he’s only gone beyond 12 games twice.

The 49ers don’t incur much risk with the signing. He’s a potential game-changer for their offense. There is risk involved though for Reed. He missed all of last season after getting diagnosed with the seventh concussion of his career following a hit in a preseason game. He was eager to get back in the league though and found a fit with an offensive coordinator who can maximize his skill set.

Reed probably won’t play a ton of snaps for San Francisco if he is able to put together a healthy season. Blocking isn’t his strong suit and the 49ers have a glut of capable blocking tight ends. Where he’ll help is providing another reliable target on third downs and in the red zone. He’ll also help Shanahan devise new ways to stress defenses to create holes for explosive plays. The injury questions are going to loom as long as he’s on the field, but Reed has the potential to be one of the NFL’s most important offseason signings.

Former Ravens safety not overlooking 49ers’ new TE duo

Former Baltimore Ravens safety Tony Jefferson isn’t ignoring the 49ers’ signing of Jordan Reed.

The 49ers’ addition of former Washington tight end Jordan Reed didn’t come with a ton of fanfare. Reed has been diagnosed with seven concussions in his career, and he missed all of 2019 with the seventh one. However, some NFL players have taken notice of the move.

San Francisco is plugging Reed into an offense where he’ll act as a secondary receiving option to George Kittle at tight end. Both of them are electric pass catchers who create matchup problems for defenses anywhere on the field. Defending them both at the same time could prove near impossible.

Former Ravens safety and current free agent Tony Jefferson on Tuesday and had some thoughts about the 49ers’ new TE duo:

Jefferson didn’t face Kittle last season or during his time in Arizona. He was with the Cardinals for four years but signed with Baltimore in 2017 — the year Kittle was drafted by the 49ers. An ACL injury in Week 5 sidelined Jefferson for the rest of the year — including the Ravens-49ers showdown in Week 13.

While Jefferson is just one player who isn’t currently on a club, his comment underscores the danger a Kittle-Reed combo presents if both are on the field.

Kittle is a terrific blocker and a nightmare for defenders after the catch. Reed is essentially an oversized wide receiver who creates matchup problems by simply being on the field.

As the season draws closer and if Reed makes it through camp healthy, don’t be surprised if the 49ers’ tight end tandem becomes a significant discussion point going into the year. A second strong receiving tight end was perhaps the biggest piece missing from the 49ers’ offensive depth chart last year, and now Reed provides that as one of the game’s most dangerous pass-catching TEs.

Tony Jefferson is taking note. It won’t be long before the rest of the league follows suit.

 

Report: San Francisco 49ers sign Jordan Reed

The 49ers are taking a chance on injury-riddled Jordan Reed.

The San Francisco 49ers have a great tight end in George Kittle. Does the team anticipate problems with the All-Pro? Could that be why it is signing former Washington TE Jordan Reed?

Nah.

Anyway, the Niners did agree to a deal with the concussion-plagued Reed on Monday, per Adam Schefter.

The key words are “when healthy.” He did not play last season. The former Florida star missed 31 games in his first six seasons in the league. The most games he has played in a season is 14.

Overall, Reed has 329 catches for 3,371 yards. He has had numerous concussions and seems to be a risky proposition to put on the field.