Tight end Jordan Reed won’t be playing on Thursday night.
Redskins coach Jay Gruden said Tuesday that Reed, who signed a five-year extension this offseason, will be held out of the team’s preseason opener against the Falcons. Reed is dealing with a sprained left thumb and will remain home to get treatment while the rest of the squad goes to Atlanta.
Reed has dealt with a variety of injuries over the course of his NFL career, although this appears to be more precaution about playing him for a series or two than a serious issue that could impact his readiness for the season. Gruden also said that calls about whether and how long left tackle Trent Williams, who has knee soreness, and linebacker Preston Smith, who has a shoulder injury, will play will be made closer to kickoff.
“I’ll put them through pregame warmups, and once the game gets started, I’ll make my determination on who to take out and when to take them out,” Gruden said, via the Washington Post. “That’ll be solely my decision, and we’ll go from there.”
Wide receivers Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder will miss the game. The Redskins host the Jets on August 19 in their second preseason contest.