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Anyone who’s heard anything about the Washington Redskins in the past several years knows the obvious choice for #86 is not John Paluck, or Clint Didier, or even Fred Davis. It is the current wearer of the number: tight end Jordan Reed. Reed was drafted by Washington in 2013 with the 85th overall pick (I guess the 86th pick would’ve been too awesomely coincidental for this post... thanks, universe), and fans quickly began talking about Reed as the greatest tight end to wear the burgundy and gold since Chris Cooley.
In his four years with the Redskins, Reed has caused fans to oscillate between unbridled excitement about him being a major threat on the field and extreme frustration about his injuries that kept him on the bench. Reed’s production earned him a spot on the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America all-rookie team (2013), the 77th ranking on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016 list, and much overdue Pro Bowl honors (2017). He also served as a security blanket for both quarterbacks Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins. However, Reed has played only an average of 11.5 games per season. His first season was cut short by a concussion, his second by a hamstring injury, his third by another concussion, and his most recent by a shoulder injury and, again, a concussion.
So, which #86 will we see this season? The commanding offensive weapon or the beaten-up body? All reports out of mini camp suggest that Reed is in dominant and healthy form, which means that the undying excitement of the off-season is acceptable for now. You just may want to rein it in when the regular season starts.
Poll
Who do you think was the best Redskin to wear #86?
This poll is closed
-
0%
Steve Meilinger (the original #86)
(0 votes) -
1%
John Paluck (the longest tenured #86)
(5 votes) -
1%
Fred Davis (the #86 turned #83)
(3 votes) -
62%
Jordan Reed (the current #86)
(178 votes) -
32%
Clint Didier (the two-time SB champ #86)
(93 votes) -
2%
Other (the #86 you name in the comments)
(8 votes)