Getting Jayden Reed Back Could Have a Big Impact on the Packers Offense
By GilMartin
Wide receiver Jayden Reed returned to practice Friday and the 21-day window for his eventual return to action has started. While the third-year wideout will not play against the Vikings this Sunday, he told reporters after practice that “I don't know when I'll be back. Hopefully, it's soon.” The potential return of Reed could have a big impact on the Green Bay offense down the stretch.
Reed has been out of the lineup since Week 2. At that time, he was trying to play with an injured foot. Then he suffered a broken collarbone. The former Michigan State star needed surgery for both injuries and has not played since mid-September.
“I've been running for a while, for a [few] weeks now, so I don't think conditioning standpoint is a problem or anything like that,” Reed said. “Definitely helps getting team reps, but I'm on year three, so there's really no excuses. Me being a leader, I have to be prepared for whatever.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur stressed how important Reed is to the offense shortly after he suffered his injury in Week 2. “He's a guy that's a catalyst for our offense and our football team, quite frankly. The energy he brings,” LaFleur said. “He's a dawg. He comes out there and he's gonna compete. He plays tough, physical, and he's a playmaker.”
Quarterback Jordan Love sounded eager to get Reed back into the lineup. “First and foremost, he brings a very dynamic aspect to our offense, and I think you’ve seen that over the last couple of years with him here,” Love told reporters. “He’s a playmaker and obviously I think the last play of this season that he played before he got hurt was a touchdown. Obviously, it got called back but definitely [he’s] just a playmaker that we’ve been missing…It’s obviously a different offense when you have all your playmakers out there. We’ve been missing him, and we can’t wait to get him back.”
The Packers selected Reed in the second round of the 2023 draft. In his first two seasons, Reed led the team in catches. This accomplishment is even more impressive when you consider Reed operated out of the slot and wasn’t on the field all the time. In his rookie year, he played just 56 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. That number went up to 63 percent in 2024. Reed had eight touchdown catches in his rookie campaign and followed that up with six more in 2024.
Getting Reed back for the stretch drive could have a big impact on the Packers. Most of his catches tend to be short or intermediate passes. That could give quarterback Jordan Love an important and reliable option on check downs and quick release passes.
That is even more important now that tight end Tucker Kraft is out for the rest of the season. Kraft was the most reliable receiver Love had on short passes. His ability to run with the ball after the catch turned short passes into longer gains and kept the chains moving. Reed also has the ability to run well after the catch, something that has been missing from the offense in the last two games.
Reed possesses the ability to reliably keep the chains moving by catching passes out of the slot or on the boundary. His return could give the Packers more consistency on offense, something that has been missing since Reed was out of the lineup and even more so since Kraft’s injury.
LaFleur also liked to utilize Reed on gadget plays. He would occasionally line him up in the backfield and let him run end arounds or jet sweeps or throw a very short forward pass to him behind the line of scrimmage in an attempt to get the ball to Reed in space and let him run for more yardage.
Having both Christian Watson and Reed healthy at the same time could open up a lot of possibilities for the Green Bay offense with Watson going deep downfield and Reed finding single coverage underneath after the safety follows Watson deep.
The return of Reed would be a big boost for the offense if he’s ready to play next Thursday against the Lions in a critical game that may decide the NFC North title. But whenever Reed returns to the lineup, his addition should give the offense a boost heading into the stretch drive this season. If the Packers hope to play their best football in December and January, a healthy and productive Reed gives them a better chance to do that.
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You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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Comments (13)
HawkPacker
November 22, 2025 at 10:37 am
I could not agree more. I think we have missed Reed more than we originally thought.
And now with Kraft out the rest of the year+, we need him even more. Can't wait for his return!
dobber
November 22, 2025 at 10:38 am
Absolutely.
Unless they're going to lean into Savion Williams and his purported RAC ability, Reed is about all they got.
dobber
November 22, 2025 at 10:46 am
Over the last couple years, Reed has played mostly in 11 personnel, which did limit his snaps. It's been making the rounds in the podcasts and other commentaries that heavy sets with 12 and 13 personnel are starting to proliferate--which would limit Reed if the Packers were buying in--but with Kraft hurt and the weakness of the TE room left behind, the Packers will have the opportunity with Reed to put a more impactful player on the field.
PackEyedOptimist
November 22, 2025 at 10:56 am
I’m hoping Golden and Savion (at least one of them!) comes on (vs. having a rookie end of season drop-off).
The playmaking potential is still sky high for this group, and we probably should add Whyle to that list.
Packers'Dynasties6of16-5of7-next....
November 22, 2025 at 03:52 pm
Jayden Reed is a very good receiver.
The problem though is not at receiver, the problem is at quarterback.
Gutekunst failed at the most important task he had before him - Gutekunst failed to supply a generational once in a lifetime Hall of Fame QB with the weapons he needed and then chose a QB that had 1 decent year and 2 terrible years at a 2nd tier College that was not playing Power 5 competition - still leading all of college football in interceptions his last year in college. WARNING SIGNALS SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLASHING!
Lafleur cannot use Jordan effectively beyond 10-15 air yards from the line of scrimmage - every pass beyond that point is a GAMBLE, and we are fortunate to have very athletic receivers that have BAILED Jordan out - it could have been a lot worse.
Our Packer receivers would be excelling with Jackson, Stafford, Mahomes, Goff, Rodgers and others.
Jordan Love to Christian Watson - this includes the last game against the Giants:
69 passes completed out of 124 targets for a 55.6% completion rate and 1,311 yards, 9 touchdown passes, 8 interceptions, passer rating 89.8
Aaron Rodgers to Christian Watson:
38 passes completed out of 62 targets for a 60.9% completion rate and 540 yards, 6 touchdown passes, 1 interception, passer rating 112.8
What does the ratio of touchdown passes to interceptions and accuracy and passer rating numbers tell you?
Christian Watson is a football team’s long ball threat and a freak athlete given his speed, size and explosiveness.
Christian Watson’s skill sets are obsolete and underutilized with someone like Jordan Love, who does not possess the timing, processing ability or arm strength to utilize him.
Most Packer fans knew this from the time Jordan was drafted. Go back and watch his college game - same as today. Find the Wake Forest and LSU and Wyoming games and see if they do not remind you of Mr. Hyde who always comes out in Packer games at the most critical moments and in the most critical games.
Jordan is not a "franchise" QB - he may in short time be a career backup. The only thing that is stopping that is Gutey trying to save his own career.
Coldworld
November 22, 2025 at 07:03 pm
Love lacks arm strength? Lost me for good at that.
Oppy
November 22, 2025 at 10:43 pm
You don’t know what a QB is
dobber
November 23, 2025 at 07:42 am
Just another cut-and-paste diatribe
PhantomII
November 22, 2025 at 07:12 pm
One of the biggest problems with the Packers is a failure to launch ANY of the WR's into a #1 or even #2 WR who consistently catches the ball. Right now GB is wasting JL tenure by not surrounding JL with enough difference makers that can stay healthy and catch the damn ball at a high enough clip to be a dominant force in the NFC NORTH and the NFL as a whole. Only TE Kraft has shown he is a legit top 3 TE in the NFL....and ML was not using him remotely as much as he could have been before injury. I like most all of our WR as a whole, but none have actually separated themselves into a 1 or 2 that we need. Now Gute does not have a #1 draft pick to use to get the Offense on track with receptions. I also don't know what the hell is going on with the lack of attempts to get Golden the ball, as he has shown traits of a could be #1 WR. When all the Wr's are on a catch streak everything looks good...when they are poor, everything falls apart. ML coaching in that department has not produced stellar play....Maybe it's up to them to run sprints when they don't make a catch as an honor system to get better....whatever is happening most NFL quality WR's are pretty locked in in year 2...if they ever will be. As I have mentioned before 1st Ballot HOF AR started his career with D. Driver / Jennings / J.Jones / Jordy Nelson / and eventually D. Adams and R. Cobb. None of the current WR's are heading into a slot to meet or exceed ANY of those WR's.
GBPfaninMO
November 22, 2025 at 08:04 pm
Reed is a difference maker so definitely need him back but I'm not too sure how many times you'll see he & Golden on the field together both are pretty injury prone & as far as Lloyd goes if he isn't on the field and balling out soon well don't let the door hit ya
dobber
November 23, 2025 at 07:44 am
Reed played 16 of 17 as a rookie and 17 of 17 last season. A guy falls on him and breaks his collarbone and now he's injury prone?
Bitternotsour
November 23, 2025 at 09:03 am
how many times are you going to stomp all over a narrative.
Oppy
November 22, 2025 at 10:48 pm
Just a reminder, reed was dropping balls last year, too.
It was reed, wicks, and doubs all having the butterfingers in 2024.
Just something to keep an eye on as reed returns to the fold.
I hope Golden gets more opportunities as the season progresses. It looks like he still makes some alignment/route mistakes, but in camp he was catching everything that came his way.