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BREAKING: Packers Place Standout WR on IR for a Slow-Healing Foot; He Pushes back: “Cut My Pay If You Have To” — And It Hit Hard.

 

As Green Bay ticks toward Tuesday’s 53-man deadline, the Jayden Reed storyline erupted inside the locker room. The staff and front office are debating an Injured Reserve move because his foot hasn’t progressed as hoped. Reed immediately rejected the idea, insisting he can be ready early in the season and wants to be with his teammates rather than wear the IR label.

“I DON’T WANT AN IR TAG TO SIT AND COLLECT A CHECK — I BELIEVE I CAN BE READY. CUT MY PAY IF YOU HAVE TO; JUST GIVE ME THE CHANCE TO REHAB, SUIT UP IN THIS JERSEY, AND HELP THIS TEAM WIN.”

IR is a sensitive lever — both procedurally and symbolically. Under 2025 rules, players on IR must miss at least four games. Clubs can designate up to two players placed on IR during the final 53-man reduction to return later in the season; otherwise, an IR move made outside that window can effectively end a player’s year. That nuance is driving the debate in Green Bay on the eve of cutdown day. 

From a football perspective, losing Reed early would thin the receiver room and force Matt LaFleur to recalibrate motion/jet and spacing packages that unlock Jordan Love’s quick game. Reed’s RAC burst and slot versatility stress matchups and open grass for the perimeter — exactly why his stance resonates: he wants to play and generate lift for the offense, not become a technical line on a transaction sheet.

Over the next 48 hours, all outcomes are on the table. The sides could strike a ramp-up compromise that keeps Reed on the initial 53 before shifting to IR to preserve a return window. If medical updates stall, immediate IR becomes the pragmatic option — though everyone pays a price.

Whatever the resolution, one message carried through Lambeau: Jayden Reed wants to fight, not sit.

Bears Could Get Huge Boost to Pass Rush for ‘MNF’ vs. Commanders
Bears defensive end Austin Booker could return in Week 6. The Chicago Bears could receive a significant boost to their pass rush when they take on the Washington Commanders for Monday Night Football in Week 6. The Bears are now eligible to designate second-year defensive end Austin Booker for return from the injured reserve list after he missed the first four games of the season. Booker had shone in the preseason and seemed the likely choice to serve as the Bears‘ top rotational pass rusher behind veterans Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo coming into the 2025 season, but he suffered a knee injury in August that forced the team to place him on the short-term injured reserve list after the 53-man roster cutdown. Promoted Content Brain Specialist: Honey, The Plaque Destroyer (Watch This)   Brain Journal Researcher: Honey Method, Alzheimer's Natural Predator (See How)   Brain Journal Dementia Has Been Linked To A Common Habit. Do You Do It?   Brain Defender Dementia & Memory Loss Have Been Linked To This Habit. You Do It?   Brain Journal While the Bears have not laid out an expected return timeline for Booker, they will have the option of designating him for return to practice in Week 6 if they feel he has made enough progress in his injury recovery. Once the Bears designate him for return, they will have 21 days to activate him to the roster or else must leave him on IR for the year. The Bears could provide clues to Booker’s status when they hold their first practice of the week on Wednesday and issue their first injury report for Sunday’s prime-time date with the Commanders. They would need to activate Booker by Saturday afternoon at the latest for him to have a chance of suiting up for them on Monday Night Football. The Bears (2-2) will take on the Commanders (3-2) at 8:15 p.m. ET next Monday.