Overlooked amidst the drama surrounding the Washington Redskins in recent weeks has been the health of Jordan Reed.
The rookie tight end emerged as a bright spot in an otherwise lost season before suffering a concussion last month. Reed nearly returned on two occassions, but he now exists in a state of limbo as symptoms of the head injury linger.
Reed was unable to practice Wednesday and plans to visit more specialists Thursday. Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said the team is leaning on its medical staff to make a decision on the rookie's status for the remainder of the season.
"We're going to do what we can to make sure that he's looked at carefully, and when the doctors say that he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go," Shanahan said, via ESPN.com.
All signs point to Reed missing a fifth consecutive game Sunday. The team already shut downRobert Griffin III in an effort to avoid an injury. It's likely the team will be similarly cautious with Reed, who could have a key role in the franchise's future. He needs to get healthy first.
UPDATE: Shanahan announced at a news conference that Reed will be placed on injured reserve and miss the remainder of the season. A specialist recommended that Reed not practice for the next three weeks.
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