When Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson went down with a torn ACL in Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season, many presumed that the team would target the position in the draft. Additionally, Green Bay’s other top three wideouts struggled with drops, indicating that competition needed to be added to the room to ensure that the Packers put the best team out on the field.
But very few expected them to actually select a wide receiver in the first round. After all, they had not done so since 2002. But they selected Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick, then grabbed Savion Williams in the third round.
While the drafting of these two young wide receivers was meant to make the Packers a better team, one pass-catcher apparently was questioning what it meant for his future.
As reported earlier this week, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst had a meeting with third-year wide receiver Jayden Reed and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The meeting was to assure Reed that, despite the addition of the two young wide receivers, the Packers still viewed him as their top wide receiver and that he was very much in their future plans.
Of course, it is easy to see what Green Bay views Reed as one of their most important players. He's coming off a career best season in which he racked up 55 receptions for 857 yards and six touchdowns.
Head coach Matt LaFleur commented on the meeting between the team's front office and Reed.
“Well, I gotta say, the first time I saw that, it was a surprise to me because he never once said a word to me,” LaFleur said about Reed. “So, that’s all I can really speak on.
“But, certainly, you have communication with all of our guys. I tell them all the time, it’s about the collection of that whole room and what you’re going to bring to the table. And he’s a guy that’s had two years of a lot of production for us.
“So, my encouragement to him is, ‘Hey, you got to lead that room.’ Because he’s done a great job of that. He’s one of the guys out there, I mean shoot, the other day at practice… he’s coaching up Matthew Golden. So, he’s a guy I don’t worry about. He’s going to go out there, he’s going to compete, he’s going to compete at a high level, and he’s going to bring up everybody around him as well.”
It certainly seems that any thought that Reed was disgruntled can be put to rest. Clearly, he has a big role in the offense and his head coach holds him in extremely high esteem.
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