Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed enjoyed a productive rookie season. The former Michigan State star led the team with 64 receptions and 793 yards while catching eight touchdown passes. He also ran the ball 11 times for 119 yards and two more scores. He accomplished all this despite missing one game and playing only 56 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in those games. At OTAs this week, Reed told reporters he was ready to take the next step in year two of his NFL career.
Packers WR Jayden Reed Ready to Take the Next Step: The Difference in Year Two
The first thing Reed mentioned was the big difference between being a rookie and now preparing for his second season.
“It’s night and day just knowing the playbook and understanding leverages and having that confidence going out there,” Reed said. He added another difference is “being mature and knowing my job. I wasn’t fully confident until the end of the season, so I’m definitely at a different stage now. So, I’m looking forward to it.”
Right now, Reed said wants to “work on the little things, [like] getting in and out of the top of routes. [I’m] definitely going to be a better leader, more vocal.”
Having one year under his belt has obviously helped him in many ways. “I’ve seen a lot of things like blitzes trying to throw our whole offense off,” Reed said. “But coaches do a great job of helping us adjust to stuff like that. Obviously, that helped us towards the end of the season.”
Reed and Jordan Love On Their Chemistry
As the 2023 season progressed, Reed noticed the chemistry between himself, and quarterback Jordan Love got better as the season progressed.
“Me and Jordan were just connected there. He knew where I was going, I knew where he was going, and he threw a great ball where I can make a play,” Reed said when asked about a particular throw made by Love later in the season.
For his part, Love was also impressed with Reed’s progress over the course of the 2023 campaign. In November, he told reporters, “I think he’s gotten a lot more comfortable with the system,” Love said when asked about Reed’s growth. “With the routes he’s running, where to be, the coverages he’s getting for these routes, and I think he’s just playing really fast—he’s not thinking. He knows what he’s doing, he knows where he needs to get to, and obviously he’s a really fast, dynamic player, and I think he’s able to play really fast right now. Obviously, he’s making plays on the back end, catching the ball really well, and making some plays after the catch.”
Packers WR Jayden Reed Ready to Take the Next Step: Reed on Christian Watson
Reed also acknowledged the importance of a healthy Christian Watson to the Packers offense. “That vertical threat, you know that guy running at you can be scary, so you make a DB panic,” Reed said. “Just to have that in our offense can give us a little space to work and make them play different leverages.”
Having that deep threat makes a difference for all of his teammates.
As for his goal this season, Reed was very straightforward. “This is a whole new year. We’ve got new players in the locker room, new faces and new players. We’re going to keep the same standard and just keep trying to improve,” he said.
Then he added, “I want to go to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl. The stats, that’s what comes with it, but my main goal is to get there and finish the job.”
OTAs are the first step in a long journey for Reed and the Packers. Whether the team and Reed can improve enough to reach the Super Bowl remains to be seen.
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