Packers’ Less-Is-More Gamble at Receiver Backfires After Jayden Reed Injury

It seemed like such pie-in-the-sky nonsense. The Green Bay Packers would be better at receiver because they let Romeo Doubs go in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks.

With fewer mouths to feed, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden and Jayden Reed would have more to eat. Jordan Love would thrive in this less-is-more approach to the passing game, thanks to defined roles, chemistry and more opportunities.

That was the belief, anyway.

As it turns out, it predictably was nonsense.

During the second play of Sunday’s overtime victory over the New York Jets, Reed was hit by Jets linebacker Demario Davis. It was a physical, open-field tackle. Reed laid out on the ground for several minutes while doctors examined him, strapped him on a board, carefully lifted him onto a cart and drove him to the locker room.

“Jayden Reed, he’s got movement in all his extremities,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. “He will be staying overnight. That was obviously a very scary deal, anytime you see anybody down on the field and have to get carted off.”

The healthy of Reed is paramount, but the cruel reality is the game stops for no one.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst bet the fate of the passing game on three receivers with injury histories. This wasn’t just a run-of-the-mill injury, obviously, in the case of Reed. Neck injuries can happen to anyone.

Still, the harsh reality of the situation is the Packers are going to have to cobble together a passing game from a receiver corps that already had no proven depth beyond Reed, Watson and Golden.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed runs after the catch against the Jets. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Skyy Moore, who caught a total of five passes in 23 games the past two seasons, was the next man up at receiver on Sunday. He caught two passes for 6 yards vs. the Jets. Bo Melton was targeted once without a catch before his day ended with a stinger. J. Michael Sturdivant, an undrafted rookie, played important snaps without Reed and Melton but was not targeted. Savion Williams is on injured reserve; he can start practicing this week but must miss at least two more games.

Not re-signing Doubs was a no-brainer. The Patriots gave him a big contract in free agency after he served more suspensions with the Packers (one) than he had 750-yard seasons or 100-yard games in regular-season action.

Trading Wicks, however, was the more questionable decision. The Packers got a fifth-round pick in this year’s draft, which was used on Jager Burton, and a sixth-round pick in next year’s draft. With the Eagles, Wicks caught two passes for 73 yards and one touchdown in Week 1 against the Titans and five passes for 74 yards against the Titans on Sunday.

“It’s still love over there,” Wicks told The Athletic recently. “Green Bay Matt took a chance on me. I’ll never forget them.”

Burton was a key player for the Packers when they finally put him into the game at left guard on Sunday. But Wicks would be a huge factor with Reed out indefinitely, just as he was a time last season, including the Thanksgiving game at Detroit where he dominated.

Instead, the Packers will face the Falcons on Thursday with Watson, Golden, Moore, Sturdivant and maybe Melton. Isaiah Neyor would be the next man up on the practice squad.

Reed led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards in 2023 and 2024 but missed most of last season following a broken collarbone. He is an explosive playmaker and a young leader. He will be missed for what he does on the field as well as what he does off the field.

“That’s my brother, for sure,” Watson said. “Super-tough to see that, just to see him like that, in that state. Obviously, praying everything went good, with everything at the hospital. As far as I’ve heard, it’s positive news so far. I’m just keeping him in my thoughts and prayers.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) is tended to by trainers on Sunday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I never want to see that for anybody on that field but especially someone that I consider a brother to myself. I spend more time with J-Reed than I do my family. That’s my dawg.”

Watson and Golden are Watson and Golden. They will do their thing.

However, Moore, Melton and Williams have combined for 21 receptions for 288 yards in the 19 games played dating to the start of last season. That includes three catches for 16 yards by Moore and Melton through two games this season. Sturdivant hasn’t been targeted in a game that counts or, for that matter, run routes against starting cornerbacks. They’ll need him to rise to the occasion.

The Packers did well to survive the one-two punch of losing Reed and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele on back-to-back plays during the opening series to eventually beat the Jets in overtime.

It was ugly without Reed, though. Quarterback Jordan Love was 16-of-29 passing for only 145 yards. While he threw two touchdowns passes, he lost one fumble and converted only once on third down.

“Man, it’s tough,” Love said. “You hate to see anytime anybody gets injured, so I’m praying for J-Reed. And with Zach Bako-Bewele going out, it’s tough. But like you say, football’s always the next-man-up mentality. You’ve got to keep playing, so the mindset is just to keep going. People need to step up when guys go down, and I think guys did a good job today.”

Without Reed, the Packers will need more from Tucker Kraft and fellow tight end Jonnu Smith. Smith has caught a lot of passes over the years when aligned from the slot. That might be the adjustment – a lot of “12” personnel but with the same package of plays as the Packers would run in “11” personnel with Reed.

Love downplayed the reality, but even more will be on his plate for an offense that has issues on the offensive line and at running back without Josh Jacobs.

Any team will only go as far as the quarterback can take it. Now, it’s going to be up to Love to strap the franchise on his back.

“I think pressure is always going to be there,” he said. “It’s the NFL. You play quarterback, everybody is under a lot of pressure every week and that’s just what it is. That’s what the job is. I think I try and go out there and just handle business. Play my job to the best of my ability and try and take it one game at a time.

“Obviously after these games, go back, find out what we need to improve and keep working out, keep working on, but it’s a long season. It’s all about just daily improvements and trying to just execute to the best of my ability, but there’s always going to be pressure.”

Was it pretty? No.

Does a team that had lost six in a row coming into the game care about style points? Also no.

Here are @JacobWestendorf's winners and losers from the Packers' overtime victory over the Jets. ⬇️https://t.co/Jzd6z3KHHI
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 20, 2026

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