Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed got off to a hot start in 2024, which led many to believe the team had found another superstar receiver in the second round of the NFL draft.
Through the first nine games of the season, Reed was averaging nearly 70 receiving yards per game and had three games with at least 100 yards. However, Reed's production took a sharp dip during the second half of the season, with his average receiving yards per game dipping below 30 over the final eight regular season games.
Head coach Matt LaFleur provided some context as to why Reed's numbers tapered off during an interview on Tuesday at the NFL's Annual League Meeting.
"(Reed) definitely started off hot," said LaFleur, via Jason Wilde of Channel 3000. "It's a long season, and there's ebbs and flows with every season. I think there was a point in time about midway through where he got a little bit banged up. Nothing serious, just the overall pounding. And it definitely took a little bit of a toll. But I also think that we could have done a better job from a staff perspective of trying to put him in some more advantageous situations where he could have produced those numbers. Because he's an explosive player, and he's one of those guys that you want to get the ball to, no doubt about it."
Reed played in all 17 games last season, but his role in the offense decreased over the course of the season, culminating with a zero-catch performance against the Detroit Lions in Week 14.
"Now where we can be better is, and I talked to Jayden about this, is just making sure that we have some of those plays for him in the game plan where he's tagged to go in there and play wideout because obviously, he's a very impactful player," LaFleur said after the Lions game. "And we never…it wasn't by design that we don't want to throw him the ball. That's never the case. We tried to down in the red area too…they did a good job."
Reed did see an uptick in his targets over the final five games, including the playoffs, but not to the level he saw at the beginning of the year.
LaFleur wasn't making any excuses when he said injuries probably factored into Reed's decline. He popped up on the injury report, including calf, quadriceps, and ankle injuries throughout the year. He also left the Wild Card game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a shoulder injury.
Reed is a smaller receiver at 5-11, 187 pounds, which is essentially the same size as former Packers slot receiver Randall Cobb, whose injury history played a role in the team allowing him to walk in free agency following the 2018 season. Unfortunately, durability could be an ongoing concern for Reed as well.
Yet, despite his injuries and unpredictable output, Reed has been Green Bay's leading receiver in each of his first two seasons. Hopefully, he will have better injury luck and take the next step in his development on a team that desperately needs more consistency and playmaking from its receiving group.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers coach Matt LaFleur provides context to Jayden Reed's second-half slump
