The numbers indicate just how extraordinary Jordan Reed’s performance in 2015 was. He caught 87 passes for 952 yards, both the most in a single season by a Washington Redskins tight end. He led the team with 11 touchdowns, which made him the first tight end in team history to lead the Redskins in all three categories since Jean Fugett in 1977.
The Redskins’ offense funneled through Reed last season. From Week 7 when quarterback Kirk Cousins led the team back from a 24-0 deficit against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to the end of the regular season, Reed hauled in 52 of his 63 targets — the highest catch percentage of any tight end. The 10 touchdowns he caught in that stretch were among the best for tight ends and wide receivers. New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall had 10. Only the 12 from Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin exceeded Reed’s total.
Yet on a warm August day during the team’s portion of training camp in Richmond, after 20 minutes of extra work on the JUGS machine to keep his hands crisp, Reed hesitates when he’s reminded that he accomplished one of the most dominant seasons in team history despite missing two games because of injuries.
“My main goal is to play all 16 games,” Reed said. “I still haven’t done that yet. I still need to do that.”
Reed was rewarded in the offseason with a five-year, $46.75 million contract extension, making him the third-highest paid tight end in the NFL. His sharp route-running ability, size and speed make him a matchup nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.
The Redskins paid him to be a cornerstone of the franchise, not just an elite pass catcher, and the 26-year-old is ready to live up to those expectations.
“When you look at the numbers and look at the plays he made, you’d say there is no way he could get better,” left tackle Trent Williams said. “But there are always little nuances people can work on. For him, being a more complete tight end, some tag him as just the best route-running tight end, he wants to become the best overall tight end and you can see him working toward that.”
Staying on the field
First came the hit from Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Brandon Graham, which sent Reed twisting to the ground in the third quarter of the Redskins’ 23-20 victory in Week 4. Reed fumbled, sprained his right MCL and ankle, but returned to the game. Then in the fourth quarter, three plays before Cousins’ go-ahead touchdown pass to Pierre Garcon with 31 seconds left, linebacker Jordan Hicks collided with Reed. The tight end sustained a concussion and missed the next two games.
He returned to catch 11 passes for 72 yards and two touchdowns against the Buccaneers in the season-shifting comeback. That part, the triumphant return, was something that hadn’t always happened in the past.
Reed only played in 20 of 32 games his first two NFL seasons after the Redskins selected him in the third round of the 2013 draft. His rookie season, he bruised his right quad in September, sustained a hip pointer in October and a concussion in November. He was sidelined for the remainder of the season after the concussion.
The 2014 season felt worse for Reed, even though he played more games. He knew there wasn’t much he could do about a concussion. These injuries — a strained left hamstring in Week 1 and a strained right hamstring in Week 11 — limited him to 11 games, 50 catches, 465 yards and no touchdowns, but what hurt more was the doubt that settled into his mind.
“It was tough,” Reed said. “You start to question yourself, wonder if you’d ever be able to be healthy the majority of the season.”
His 2015 offseason was transformative. The birth of his daughter, Jaeda, in December 2014 inspired him to take better care of his body so he can remain on the field and it continues to motivate him now, more so than his new contract. “It’s awesome man,” Reed said. “It gets better and better each month, each day. She used to be a real momma’s girl. She’s a daddy’s girl now.”
He spent the summer with Williams in Houston, participating in grueling workouts that had Reed returning to the Redskins in what he considered the best shape of his life. This summer Reed was so eager to do it again, he asked Williams if he could join when he held his ’Hogs 2.0’ workouts with the rest of the Redskins’ offensive linemen.
“To me what sticks out is it’s the one and only vacation we have in this busy year,” Williams said. “If a guy takes his time to come out there to that Texas heat and do those workouts, to me that shows dedication right there. The fact that he did that two years in a row, despite the fact he received that big contract and had one of his better years, it speaks volumes to the man he became and the man he’s becoming.”
’He’s been a joy to watch grow’
During another training camp practice, inside linebacker Mason Foster followed Reed toward the right sideline. As Cousins released the pass, Foster appeared to have the route covered, but Reed used his 6-foot-2, 246-pound frame to outmuscle the linebacker and make the catch. Foster pounded the turf with his fists in frustration.
A few days later, in a red-zone situation, Reed planted hard with his left foot and faked a move to the outside, only to cut back in on Duke Ihenacho. The safety wasn’t fooled entirely and remained in tight coverage, but Cousins’ sharp throw found Reed who easily secured the catch.
It’s an accurate simulation of what opposing defenses struggled with all last season. Reed’s combination of speed and power commands a double-team presence from a linebacker and safety. Most have a difficult time stopping him one-on-one.
Aside from his route-running and catching ability, he’s more comfortable in the Redskins’ offense. As he enters his third season under coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Sean McVay, there is continuity, something he didn’t have at Florida before he was drafted. There, Reed also played quarterback as a freshman and split practice reps at each position. In four seasons, Reed had three different offensive coordinators.
“Jordan has probably grown as much as anybody in the league can grow from a rookie, coming out of college in Florida where he wasn’t a very physical player, not very strong,” Gruden said. “Now he’s always in the weight room, he studies. He wasn’t very knowledgeable about the passing game. He learned the system so he can line up anywhere on the field and win. He’s made himself a premier tight end … and he’s proud of his accomplishments. He’s been a joy to watch grow.”
Reed only played one preseason game this summer. He sprained one of his thumbs in training camp and the Redskins held him out as a precaution. There was no need to risk his health then, not when the games did not have significant meaning on the outcome of the season. When the games do there is no doubt he will be out there, hopefully this time for all 16.
• Anthony Gulizia can be reached at agulizia@washingtontimes.com.
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