The Green Bay Packers announced that wide receiver Jayden Reed will undergo surgery on his injured neck. The Michigan State alum will be out for the season, but thankfully the injury is not considered career threatening. Now, the Packers have to figure out how to overcome the loss of Jayden Reed and find a new player who can be productive out of the slot.

How the Packers Can Overcome the Loss of Jayden Reed: Reed’s Production and the Injury

The Packers selected Reed in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He led the team in catches in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. Reed set a new Packers rookie record with 64 catches in 2023. He followed that up with a 55 catch, 857-yard season in 2024.

The last two seasons have been tougher on Reed. He suffered a Jones fracture during the preseason in 2025 which he tried to play through. Then in Week 2, he broke his collarbone. While he returned late in the season, he only played seven games and caught just 19 passes for 207 yards and one touchdown.

The Packers signed Reed to a three-year contract extension over the offseason worth $50.25 million. However, he suffered a neck injury early in the team’s Week 2 game against the Jets. Reed caught four passes for 24 yards before being lost for the season.

Reed’s Role and the Changes at the Position

Reed has operated primarily out of the slot during his tenure with the Packers. He had the ability to get deep downfield in addition to catching short passes over the middle.

Head coach Matt LaFleur has also utilized Reed out of the backfield on occasion. He has run jet sweeps, end arounds and bubble screens as well.

Over the offseason, the Packers traded away Dontayvion Wicks and opted not to re-sign Romeo Doubs who left as a free agent. The idea was to streamline the receiver room and give the top three of Chrisitan Watson, Matthew Golden, and Reed more opportunities to get the ball in their hands. Now, the team will have to figure out how to continue on without Reed on the field.

How the Packers Can Overcome the Loss of Jayden Reed: Possible Solutions

Now the coaching staff needs to figure out how to replace Reed’s productivity. LaFleur discussed that shortly after announcing Reed would miss the rest of the season.

“It’s tough,” LaFleur told reporters when asked about replacing Reed. “He brings so much, and the versatility and how we use him and just all the different roles. I would say it’s going to be by committee. There’s a lot of things the other guys can do as well. We’re integrating Skyy Moore into some of that stuff, Bo Melton, J-Mike [Sturdivant]. All of those guys are going to have to share the load.”

Sharing the load makes sense given the difficulty of finding one player who can do all the things that Reed typically does. Moore has shown flashes as a receiver. He has five catches for 37 yards through three games and has experience working out of the slot.

Melton also brings experience and size while J. Michael Sturdivant has the most upside. He made his first three catches of his NFL career last week against Atlanta. Ideally, Sturdivant will see his role increase as he gains experience and becomes more comfortable in the offense.

Savion Williams remains on IR but will be eligible to return after this week’s game against Tampa Bay. We still don’t know when he’ll be healthy enough to play. The Packers hope he can help when he’s back in the lineup.

The loss of Reed will be a challenge for the receiving corps and the coaching staff. They will need to answer the call for the Packers to have a successful season in 2026.

 

 

 

 

Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

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