The Green Bay Packers’ depleted wide receiver group will be thinner than usual today.
Both standout rookie Jayden Reed and second-year speedster Christian Watson are inactive for the Packers’ (6-8) must-win game at Carolina (2-12).
The good news for Green Bay is running back A.J. Dillon (broken thumb) and cornerback Jaire Alexander (shoulder) are active.
The Packers’ only healthy wideouts with at least 30 receptions this season will be Romeo Doubs (52) and Dontayvion Wicks (31).
Reserves Malik Heath (10 catches), Samori Toure (seven) and Bo Melton (one) — who are all deep on the depth chart — will take on greater roles than usual.
Reed is just one reception short of tying Sterling Sharpe for the Packers’ rookie reception record of 55. In addition to Reed’s team-high 54 catches, he’s carried the ball 11 times for 119 yards (10.8) and leads the Packers with eight total touchdowns.
But Reed, who was already playing through an ankle and chest injuries in recent weeks, suffered a toe injury last week and will be inactive for the first time this year.
“I think first and foremost it’s just he is as tough a young player as I’ve been around,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said of Reed. “He’s another guy who’s been battling through a lot just getting dinged up and to his credit he continues to battle through.
“And then just his versatility because not everybody can come in the backfield and get a handoff or, we’ve used him a lot in the run game, and then he’s obviously made some contributions as a returner and obviously as a receiver. I just like how he attacks the game.
Whether it’s a run play or a pass play, he’s always trying to do his job to the best of his ability, whether it’s making key blocks or key catches. He’s a guy that I’ve got a ton of respect for.”
Watson, who missed the first three games of the season with a hamstring injury, suffered another hamstring injury against Kansas City on Dec. 3 and hasn’t played since. Watson, who has 28 receptions and five touchdowns this season, will miss his sixth game of the year.
Without the speedy Watson, the Packers lose the ability to stretch a defense vertically.
Without being conceited or anything, I definitely feel like I play a role in the offense,” Watson said. “Obviously me going down, gotta find ways to fill that.
“I feel like I’m an individual who has a specific skill set that not a lot of guys have. I definitely see where it would be hard to do it but I know we got some dogs in the room. We just gotta find ways around it.”
The Packers’ other inactives are linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, safety Darnell Savage, linebacker Brenton Cox Jr., tackle Caleb Jones and cornerback Robert Rochell.
Campbell struggled mightily in Green Bay’s 34-20 loss to Tampa Bay last week. Afterwards, fans took to social media to criticize the defense. Campbell also took his fair share of heat, then issued the following tweet on Dec. 19.
