Jordan Reed's injury history remains a persistent issue for the Washington Redskins. So much so that it could leave the team with a difficult decision to make in the coming months.

One of the best tight ends in the game when healthy, Reed's importance to the offense cannot be understated. He's one of the few at his position across the league that that specifically game planned both for and against, as his athleticism and route running ability are more reminiscent of a wide receiver.

So dominant is Reed on his day that the Redskins rewarded the player with a five-year, $46.75 million contract with $22 million guaranteed two years ago. Sadly, he hasn't yet begun to reward them with his play on the field. So derailed by injury have Reed's seasons been that Jason Fitzgerald of The Sporting News named the contract one of the NFL's worst, coming in at 10th on the list.

"Reed’s injury history screamed buyer beware, but the Redskins were deaf to that when they signed this deal in 2016," Fitzgerald writes. "Reed has been active for only 18 games since that signing and has been unable to reach 900 yards in those 18 games. His injuries prevented the Redskins from releasing him this year, giving them one more season to try to get more return on their investment."

While 2017 once again left fans wondering "what if?", signs are certainly pointing towards the Redskins' star pass catcher has put his latest injury woes behind him. Speaking earlier this offseason, head coach Jay Gruden allayed fears that Reed would once again be limited -- or absent altogether -- from training camp.

“We’ve taken the necessary steps to get him right, and I think he’s had some procedures done on his toes and now it’s just a matter of the rehab and he’s been working hard at it,” Gruden said. “He’s been working on his upper body while his toe are recovering, so hopefully we’ll see a 100 percent healthy Jordan by training camp.”

While Reed's injury problems were an undoubted blow to the offense, the head coach was encouraged by what he saw in backup tight ends Vernon Davis and Jeremy Sprinkle. Still, Gruden is well aware of the special talent the Redskins missed last season.

“I think in his absence last year, Vernon Davis did some good things and [Jeremy] Sprinkle got a lot of work there towards the end of the year, which will be helpful to his progression as a player. So that’s good news. But Jordan is a special guy,” Gruden said. “There’s not many tight ends in pro football that can do what he can do as far as running the option routes across the middle and breaking people down and then lining up on the outside and beating people deep, across the middle. He’s a special talent. He makes us better, without a doubt."