NFL analyst warns Packers’ struggling WR group could pose major problem for Jordan Love

A lack of depth in the Green Bay Packers’ receiving corps has many concerned about what kind of impact that will have on the team’s star quarterback in 2025.

Christian Watson was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list last month as he recovers from a prior ACL injury, while Jordan Love didn’t get a lot of consistency in the pass-catching department last season.

ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said Monday that the Cheeseheads’ starting QB needs more help from his receiving crew if they are to be successful in 2025.

“Green Bay needs Christian Watson to return from his ACL injury and be better than ever. It also needs Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks to reduce their drops (combined for 18 in 2024) and for rookie first-rounder Matthew Golden to have an immediate impact,” said Riddick.

Reed led the team in receiving yards last season (857), with Wicks fourth (415), while Christian Watson had 620 yards through the air in 15 games, good for third on the team. The club used their first-round selection this year to draft Matthew Golden out of the University of Texas, a Second-team All-Big 12 in 2023, who had 987 receiving yards in 2025 and a career-high nine touchdowns. Watson averaged 21.4 yards per catch in Green Bay last season, the highest rate of any Packer receiver.

Despite the inconsistency among his receivers, Love has never missed the playoffs since becoming the Packers’ full-time starter at the beginning of the 2023 campaign. He went 9-6 as the starter in 2024, throwing for 3,389 yards, while completing 63.1% of his throws. He saw limited action in their 30-10 preseason loss to the New York Jets this past weekend, going 1/5 for seven yards.

Packers have one receiver spot up for grabs

Love hasn’t had a single 1,000-yard receiver since becoming the starter, but it appears most of his pass-catchers in 2025 are already set.

According to Sports Illustrated, there’s only one spot up for grabs at that position, and it’s figuring out who will be the sixth receiver on the depth chart.

They have Golden, Romeo Doubs, Reed, Wicks and Savion Williams as their top five, with that last spot still to be determined. Given Watson’s experience, whoever takes that last place may only have it temporarily if the North Dakota State product gets back at some point in the 2025 campaign.

Malik Heath and Mecole Hardman appear to be the two battling for a place on the roster at the moment, and neither made a strong first impression in preseason this past weekend. Heath had two drops in their loss to the Jets, while Hardman, a former three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, had one drop and misjudged a punt.

The next chance both players have to redeem themselves will be on Saturday when they travel to Lucas Oil Stadium for their second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts.