ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Redskins placed tight end Vernon Davis on injured reserve Friday, ending his season and leaving his career in doubt.
Davis, 35, suffered a concussion in Week 4 and has not played since, though he had been in limited practice for most of that time. Davis missed the last two games of 2018 with a concussion. Another Redskins tight end, Jordan Reed, has missed the entire season because of a concussion.
For Davis, this could mark the end of a productive career. He caught 583 career passes, and his 63 touchdowns ranks sixth on the all-time list by a tight end. Davis, the sixth overall pick in 2006 by San Francisco, played nine-plus seasons for the 49ers and remains their career leader in receptions (441), receiving yards (5,640) and touchdowns (55) by a tight end.
Losing Reed and losing Davis were severe blows to the Washington offense. The Redskins rank 28th in the NFL with only 28 receptions by a tight end this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information data.
Davis spent half a season with Denver in 2015, winning a Super Bowl ring. He signed with the Redskins that offseason and caught 122 passes with eight touchdowns playing for his hometown team. Davis grew up in Washington, D.C., and played collegiately at the University of Maryland.
Davis is signed through 2020, but with the Redskins needing to undergo a major rebuild this offseason — they will have a new coach — it’s hard to see him returning. He’ll then have to decide whether he wants to continue playing elsewhere.
If this is the end for Davis, he already knows at least one thing he wants to do next: acting. Davis has already appeared in several movies, including “Hell on the Border,” which will be released Dec. 13.
The Redskins also promoted defensive lineman Ryan Bee off their practice squad to take Davis’ roster spot.