49ers tight end Jordan Reed retires at age 30

Jordan Reed (left) (Keith Allison, Wikimedia Commons)

San Francisco 49ers tight end Jordan Reed of New London, Connecticut retired on Tuesday because of issues related to concussions according to John Keim of ESPN. Reed was planning on returning to play in the National Football League in 2021, however, changed his mind after receiving professional help for some lingering effects from concussions he suffered on the football field over the years.

Reed played seven seasons with the Washington Football Team and the San Francisco 49ers. He was with Washington from 2013 to 2018, and with San Francisco in 2020. In his final NFL season with the 49ers, Reed played in 10 games, caught 26 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.

Reed was to begin the year as a backup tight end in San Francisco to George Kittle. However Kittle missed most of the second half of the regular season with a broken foot. Reed also missed a month of the season with a sprained medial collateral ligament. With the injuries to Kittle and Reed, it left the 49ers thin at tight end. Ross Dwelley was the next tight end on the San Francisco depth chart, but only had 19 catches for 245 yards and one touchdown.

The fact that Reed is retiring is not a big surprise. That is because he missed the entire 2019 NFL season with issues from a concussion he suffered in a preseason game with Washington in 2019. After being released by Washington, Reed signed a one-year deal with San Francisco on August 9, 2020.

In seven seasons, Reed had 355 catches for 3602 yards and 28 touchdowns. In 2016 with Washington, Reed was selected to the Pro Bowl, where he had 66 catches for 686 yards and six touchdowns.

Reed played his college football at the University of Florida. He was selected in the third round, 85th overall, by Washington in the 2013 NFL Draft.

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