The Green Bay Packers are 10-4 on the season and one win away from clinching their second consecutive postseason berth. Indeed, if the Packers come out of their Monday Night Football matchup with the New Orleans Saints victorious, they will officially return to the NFL Playoffs for the second straight year.
The 2024 NFL season has been a challenging one for Green Bay, though they have met most of these challenges head on and come out on top. Injuries have taken their toll on the roster, as they have with just about every team, even the contenders.
Fortunately, enough playmakers have stayed healthy all season and have helped the Packers achieve their impressive 10-4 record, which is the third-best mark in NFC.
One of these playmakers is wide receiver Jayden Reed, who has already made NFL history despite the fact he has not yet played two full seasons.
Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Jayden Reed Is in a Club of His Own
Reed is one of the few noteworthy players on Green Bay’s offense that has played in all 14 games this season. In these contests, he has racked up 49 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns. In addition, he has accumulated 155 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.
According to the Packers’ dope sheet this week, Reed has become the first player in the history of the NFL to have 100+ catches, 1,400+ receiving yards, 10+ receiving touchdowns, 200+ rushing yards, and more than one rushing touchdown in his first 25 career games.
Last season, Reed had an historic season for the Packers, hauling in 64 receptions for 793 yards and eight touchdowns. His 64 receptions are a franchise record for rookie wide receivers, a record previously held by Sterling Sharpe.
Jayden Reed Is a Major Part of the Green Bay Packers’ Success
It is quite obvious that this year’s Packers offense runs through one player in particular: running back Josh Jacobs. And it should. With all due respect to Aaron Jones, Jacobs is the best running back Green Bay has had in decades. He currently ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards (1,147), third in carries (265), and tied for second among running backs in rushing touchdowns (12).
But as important as Jacobs is to the offense, there is no denying that Reed also plays a significant role in making everything work. Not only do defenses need to account for him in the passing game, but his rushing abilities force opponents to react and commit whenever he goes in motion. This, in turn, opens up windows for other playmakers.
When the Packers lost to the Detroit Lions in Week 14, Reed had just one target and no receptions. He also did not get any rushing plays called for him.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Packers lost that game.
The next week, against the Seattle Seahawks, Reed tied for the team lead in targets (six) and had five receptions for 34 yards. He also had three rushes for 27 yards.
And the Packers won.
Of course, Reed is not the only reason Green Bay won last week, but it is clear the offense is more effective when he plays a bigger role.
