How the injuries unfolded
Green Bay’s opening drive against the Jets ended in a pair of frightening injuries that forced two starters from the game. On the second play from scrimmage, Jayden Reed was slammed to the turf after catching a swing pass left and was braced and placed on a spine board following the hit.
Medical personnel entered the field immediately as Reed went down. The entire Packers bench came onto the field while trainers tended to Reed for what the team treated as a head and neck injury. He was loaded onto a cart and immediately ruled out for the game.
On the very next play, right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele went down with what appeared to be a significant right knee injury. Teammates converged to console him while trainers immobilized his leg in an air cast. Bako-Bewele was helped onto a motorized cart to exit the field and was also ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Immediate impact on the game and team
The back-to-back injuries removed a starting receiver and the starting right tackle on the opening series, forcing the Packers to adjust personnel and gameplan with virtually no notice. Both players were carted off in consecutive plays, and the team’s official rulings declared neither would return to Sunday’s contest.
Reed’s injury sequence began when defenders converged on the swing pass with linebacker Demario Davis arriving first on the tackle. Reed released the ball and twisted to the ground as trainers rushed onto the field; he remained motionless for multiple minutes while being evaluated before being placed on a spine board.
Bako-Bewele’s reaction to his injury, and the use of an air cast on his right leg, indicated the severity of the knee injury. Trainers escorted him from the field on a motorized cart, and the Packers confirmed he would not return to the game.
Visible scene and team response
The injuries produced an immediate, somber scene on the sideline. Coaches and teammates flooded the field to check on both players; medical staff handled the extractions and treatment while play was halted. Both cartings occurred in quick succession and visibly affected the flow of the opening drive.
Team officials’ on-field decisions prioritized player safety: both players were immobilized and removed without further play involvement. The Packers’ rulings that both Reed and Bako-Bewele would not return closed the immediate chapter on Sunday’s physical start and left the organization to assess next steps in the locker room and through further medical evaluation.
