Redskins tight end Jordan Reed will continued to have his health monitored after suffering a concussion but the fourth-year veteran returned to practice on Wednesday, a step in the right direction as he seeks to get back to game action.

As he wore a yellow non-contact practice jersey on Wednesday, Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed made his return to the field.

While Reed was limited in his workload (running routes and worked on blocking with the tight ends) it was the first – and perhaps biggest – step to a return to action after missing last Sunday's game with a concussion.

"I'm feeling better," Reed said. "Just happy to be out there practicing today."

Reed believes he suffered the concussion during the third quarter of the Redskins' 16-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 9. After feeling nauseous and irritable, coupled with headaches, Reed was submitted into concussion protocol last week where he was officially diagnosed with the injury.  

"It's frustrating that I've been dealing with it so often," Reed said. "But I just try to not think about it too much and just take it as it comes. Just take it day-by-day."

Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said that Redskins will monitor Reed's progress before making a determination for his playing status for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions.

"It just means we have to wait and see what the independent doctor says and see how he does going through some work outside, you know, on a limited basis," Gruden said.

Even if Reed is unable to play on Sunday, the Redskins will likely have the upper hand against a Lions defense that has struggled stopping tight ends this season.

In six games so far this year, Detroit has given up seven touchdowns to opposing tight ends including three against the Indianapolis Colts in the regular season opener.

Fellow NFL "Top 100" player Delanie Walker of the Tennessee Titans gave the Lions fits in the second game of the season, catching six passes for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Washington, of course, has Vernon Davis and Niles Paul at its disposal. With Reed inactive last Sunday, Davis strung together his best performance in years, as he pulled in two receptions for 50 yards and his first touchdown since the 2014 regular season opener. For his career, the University of Maryland product has also hauled in three touchdowns against the Lions in as many games.

Davis was also instrumental in the Redskins' rushing attack have the best collective performance in four season, as he played all but two offensive plays as the team churned 230 yards on the ground.

While Paul hasn't been as active in the passing game this season – he has just one reception for 16 yards – the sixth-year veteran is quite capable of being a reliable option. During the 2014 season, he hauled in 39 receptions for 507 yards.

But if Reed is healthy, he provides an entirely different element the Lions haven't faced this season. In the coming days, he'll find out if he gets that chance to impress again, this time at Ford Field.

"I don't want to get too excited, get my hopes up," Reed said. "I'm just going to leave it in the doctor's hands and do what I got to do to show that I'm ready."