Is Former Michigan State Star in Unfair Situation?
Former Michigan State star and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed is facing some pretty stiff criticism for his rather lackluster performance during the second half of the NFL season and for his disappearing act in multiple big games down the stretch.
Take the last two games of the regular season, for example.
Reed totaled just three catches in the two losses, most recently logging two grabs for 48 yards in a 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears.
As a matter of fact, over the last five contests of 2024, the former Michigan State Spartans star accumulated just 11 receptions, which is not what you would expect from a No. 1 receiver.
On the year overall, Reed caught 55 passes for 857 yards and six touchdowns.
Those numbers are more in line with what you would get from a No. 2 wideout; not an ace. And that begs the question: have the Packers put Reed in an unfair situation?
Over the course of his first two NFL campaigns, Reed has established himself as a very good pass-catcher, but he has not proven that he can be a top gun.
That could very well be because he simply isn't capable of taking on the role of a No. 1 in a good offense, which means that Green Bay may need to get to work during the offseason.
The Packers have surrounded Reed with young talents like Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Dontayvion Wicks, but Watson is very injury-prone (he actually tore his ACL in Week 18), and Wicks has been disappointing this year.
What once appeared to be a loaded receiving corps for Green Bay may now be a group without a clear-cut leader, but the Packers are obviously asking Reed to be that guy.
There is nothing wrong with being a good No. 2, and that is probably what Reed actually is. It would serve Green Bay—and Reed—well to go out and land a legitimate top option during the offseason, whether that's someone like Tee Higgins or maybe even Tyreek Hill.
Reed is a good player who has been cast into an unfair role.
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Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.