The Green Bay Packers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 23-20 on Sunday afternoon to improve to 4-6 on the season. Jordan Love and the offense play arguably their best and most complete game since Week One when they defeated the Chicago Bears 38-20. But the difference in this game and performance was that the talent and explosiveness of Green Bay’s rookie pass catchers was put on full display.
Dontayvion Wicks, who was drafted by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, had three receptions for a team-high 91 yards. Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, both rookie tight ends, combined for six receptions and 60 yards on the day.
But it was Jayden Reed, who Green Bay took in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, who has earned his second-consecutive NFL Rookie of the Week nomination behind a historic performance that put in him in rare company among Packers’ great wide receivers.
Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Jayden Reed Achieves Feat Accomplished by Just 3 Other Players in Team History
Reed scored his first rushing touchdown on Sunday while racking up 46 yards rushing and 46 yards receiving. According to the Packers’ website, Reed became just the fourth rookie wide receiver in franchise history to have at least 45 yards rushing and 45 yards receiving in a game. The others are Don Hutson, James Lofton, and Christian Watson.
Fans can vote for Reed to win the NFL Rookie of the Week here.
Jayden Reed Is Becoming the Green Bay Packers’ Best Wide Receiver
So far this season, Reed has 32 receptions for 463 yards and four touchdowns. In addition, Love has a 110.2 passer rating when targeting him. In addition to his production as a receiver, Reed has five rushing attempts for 65 yards and a touchdown.
These numbers, through 10 games, put Reed on pace to have 54 receptions, 787 yards, and seven touchdowns through the air this season. As a rusher, his current projects are to finish with nine carries for 110 yards and a score.
If Reed stays on this exact course, it would be the best season by a Packers rookie wide receiver since Sterling Sharpe in 1988. That year, Sharpe had 55 receptions (a franchise rookie record) for 791 yards and a touchdown.
The closest any Packers rookie wide receiver has come to those numbers was James Jones in 2007 when he had 47 receptions, 676 yards, and two touchdowns.
