Week 1 was a brutal dose of reality for the Green Bay Packers.
Losing a tight 34-29 match to a solid Philadelphia Eagles squad is one thing, but losing star quarterback Jordan Love to a knee injury for a rumored three to six weeks is even worse. The Packers will have to tread water during Love’s absence to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
Regardless of whether or not Green Bay wins the Lombardi trophy in February, they also realized they are in a congested NFC North division on Sunday. All three other teams in the division–the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and Minnesota Vikings–won their openers, instantly putting the Packers in last place.
It’s going to be difficult to stay up with the other great rosters in the division in seasons to come. The Packers will have to grab talent from some of their rivals across the National Football League, and that may include the New York Jets.
On Monday, Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department anticipated that the Packers will sign Jets corner D.J. Reed to improve their secondary in 2025.
“With Eric Stokes’ contract ready to expire, cornerback presently projected to be one of the major offseason needs in Green Bay. Meanwhile, Reed could be in his last year with the Jets being as his deal is up at the conclusion of the season and New York has to worry about paying Sauce Gardner,” the authors added.
“The soon-to-be 28-year-old has succeeded in the CB2 spot for the Jets, surrendering just an 85.1 passer rating when targeted last season while earning a 79.5 coverage grade, per Pro Football Focus. That’d likely be a similar situation to what he’d be entering into with the Packers alongside Jaire Alexander.”
Reed has been excellent over the past three seasons, first with the Seattle Seahawks and then with the Jets in 2022-2023. He has totaled 31 passes defended, surrendered just seven touchdowns in coverage, and piled up 144 total points saved, according Sports Info Solutions.
After the Packers invested substantially in the safety position moving into 2024, corner could be the next spot in need of a makeover. Behind Stokes, the Packers currently have Corey Ballentine and Carrington Valentine, who have one total interception in their careers.
Reed would be a big enhancement to the Packers’ defense in 2025. With Love locked down and a talented young core surrounding him, the Packers could be primed to conquer the North for years to come.
