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The team announced Wednesday that it placed the tight end on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list. ESPN's John Keim reported the issue keeping Reed off the field is pain and soreness in his big toe, and Reed is undergoing further evaluation for the issue.

Reed, whose 2016 season ended with a separated shoulder, did not need surgery, and his recovery from that injury has progressed without difficulty.

When healthy, Reed is among the game's best but last season he played just 12 games. When he missed two midseason games with a concussion the Redskins' offense stayed in form thanks to Vernon Davis, who had 44 catches for 583 yards and two touchdowns.

So this latest issue obviously merits our attention.

"Toe injuries might sound minor, but surprisingly, they aren't a laughing matter," NFL.com's Nick Shook wrote. "A game that requires explosive movement from all of its 11 players on each side of the ball also requires those participants to use their big toe as part of such propulsion. Reed, one of the league's most athletic tight ends, relies on such explosion to separate himself from the rest at his position as a playmaker."

Still, the upside of a healthy Reed is undeniable.

As ESPN's Mike Clay recently noted, Reed handled 8.3 targets per game (23 percent share) during 38 career games in which he was on the field for more than half of the team's offensive plays. The mark is 8.8 (25 percent) if we limit the sample to the past two seasons (24 games).

Reed's injury woes are a pain, but the potential rewards outweigh the risks.