The Green Bay Packers were unexpected NFL playoff hopefuls last season. Many people questioned the New York Jets’ ability to be successful after dealing Aaron Rodgers. The 2022 Packers finished 8-9, missing the playoffs. Surely they’d take a step back without their four-time NFL MVP, right? However, Jordan Love performed better in 2023 than Rodgers did in 2022. He also had the best debut season as a starting quarterback in Packers history.
Not only that, but Love guided Green Bay to a 9-8 record and a position in the NFL playoffs. As a bonus, he guided the Packers to an unexpected 48-32 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Wild Card Weekend. After answering the question of how good he and the club could be, the only question left is how much to pay Love going forward. The Green Bay Packers gave Jordan Love a very young group of pass receivers.
In the NFL, there is no single correct approach to establish a team roster, but there are certain basic best practices. When a club has a fresh, young starting quarterback, they usually make sure he has one or two veterans among his wide receivers. Rodgers, for example, had Donald Driver to pass to as a rookie, in addition to other veterans. Even the Chicago Bears went out and signed Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen for their new rookie quarterback, Caleb Williams.
Green Bay, on the other hand, decided that their team would grow and develop together, so they assigned Love to a pass-catching group made up solely of first- and second-year players. The lack of experience among this group of players was another reason many questioned the Packers last season, but they shocked many people on their path to becoming one of the most balanced groups in the NFL:
Jayden Reed led the team in receptions and receiving yards, and he tied Romeo Doubs most touchdown receptions. Despite missing eight games, Christian Watson finished fourth on the team in receiving yards and second in touchdown receptions. Tight end Despite missing six games due to a lacerated kidney, Luke Musgrave broke the Packers’ rookie tight end catch record.
Obviously, Green Bay has a lot of young potential at wide receiver and tight end, but Love believes one player in particular will play a larger role this season. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love predicts Jayden Reed will play a larger role in 2024. As previously indicated, Reed led or tied for the lead on the Packers’ roster in every major receiving category. He had one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history.
With a year of NFL experience under his belt, Reed faces even higher expectations in 2024, and his quarterback feels he will be a bigger focus on the offense moving forward. In a recent interview, Love stated: “Obviously, you can see what occurs when he has the ball in his hands. And then there’s the growth he made during the season last year, since he arrived, and obviously now he’s making even bigger gains. So he’s a terrific player, and I believe he’ll play a bigger role this year.”
Love isn’t the only one who’s recently spoken positively about Reed. Jaire Alexander compares Reed to a younger Randall Cobb, only better. If Reed does make the leap that everyone believes he will, the Packers could be in for a fantastic season.
