The Green Bay Packers will be without Jayden Reed for the remainder of the season, but the team has an immediate plan to replace him with a wider array of options available to them down the line if it doesn’t work.
Head coach Matt LaFleur spoke with media members on Wednesday, September 30 and confirmed that Reed might miss the remainder of the season. He added that Skyy Moore will step into Reed’s role as the Packers’ third wide receiver.
“Skyy Moore will be next man up this season for Jayden Reed,” Ryan Wood of USA Today reported on Wednesday, September 30. “Matt LaFleur makes it clear Moore’s elevated role on offense, a reason Moore signed with #Packers this season, will not limit his usage in return game whatsoever.”
Jayden Reed Likely to Miss Entire Season After Neck Injury
Moore accounted for seven targets in Green Bay’s Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, which trailed only Matthew Golden with 12 targets and Christian Watson with 10 targets. Moore finished the night with three catches for 31 yards.
The Packers are liable to ask for more of the same from Moore, and then some, moving forward after ESPN’s reporting about Reed heading to the injured reserve list (IR) on Wednesday.
“It marks the second straight year that Reed has gone on injured reserve early in the season. Last year, he was also injured in Week 2, when he broke his collarbone,” Rob Demovsky wrote. “He underwent surgery to not only repair the collarbone but also a lingering foot injury. He returned in Week 14 and played in the final four regular-season games plus the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.”
Adam Schefter reported via social media that Reed could potentially miss the rest of the 2026 season and will remain sidelined “indefinitely.”
Packers Could Look at Odell Beckham Jr., Tyreek Hill if Skyy Moore Doesn’t Pan Out as WR3
Reed inked a three-year contract extension worth $50.25 million during the offseason, which renders the timing of his neck injury extremely unfortunate on both sides of the equation.
Even worse, the Packers parted ways with Romeo Doubs in free agency and traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles over the offseason. Those two moves, plus Reed’s injury, now leave what was an over-staffed Packers WR room in 2025 noticeably under-staffed after a 1-2 start to the year.
Moore recorded a total of 43 receptions across his first two NFL campaigns, which he played for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has recorded only 10 receptions in 26 games he has appeared in since. Moore has a total of one receiving TD over his five-year career.
All of that is to say that it’s entirely possible Moore isn’t up to the challenge as the No. 3 WR in the Packers’ rotation. If that is the case, the team may have little choice but to hunt for a veteran in free agency.
Tyreek Hill remains available following his release from the Miami Dolphins during the offseason. Meanwhile, the New York Giants cut ties with Odell Beckham Jr. earlier this week jut three games into his comeback tour with the team that drafted him in 2014.
Packers Announce Plan to Replace Jayden Reed After Season-Ending Surgery