Interesting News: The Green Bay Packers’ wideouts Jayden Reed and Christian Watson are both inactive…..

Interesting News: The Green Bay Packers’ wideouts Jayden Reed and Christian Watson are both inactive.….

Today, the Green Bay Packers’ depleted wide receiver group will be thinner than usual. Both star rookie Jayden Reed and second-year speedster Christian Watson will be unavailable for the Packers’ (6-8) must-win game against Carolina (2-12). The good news for Green Bay is that both running back A.J. Dillon (broken thumb) and cornerback Jaire Alexander (shoulder) are active.

This season, the Packers’ only healthy wide receivers with at least 30 receptions will be Romeo Doubs (52) and Dontayvion Wicks (31). Reserves Malik Heath (10 catches), Samori Toure (seven), and Bo Melton (one) will play bigger roles than normal.

Reed is only one reception away from tying Sterling Sharpe for the Packers’ rookie reception record of 55. In addition to his team-high 54 receptions, Reed has run the ball 11 times for 119 yards (10.8) and leads the Packers with eight touchdowns. Reed, who had already played through ankle and chest issues in recent weeks, had a toe injury last week and will be out for the first time this season.

“First and foremost, I think he is as tough a young player as I’ve seen,” Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said of Reed. “He’s another guy who’s been through a lot just getting dinged up, and to his credit, he keeps going.

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 lot of respect for.

Watson, who had missed the first three games of the season due to a hamstring ailment, sustained another hamstring injury against Kansas City on December 3 and has not played since. Watson, who has 28 receptions and 5 touchdowns this season, will miss his sixth game of the season.

Without Watson’s speed, the Packers lose the ability to stretch a defence vertically. “Without being conceited or anything, I definitely feel like I play a role in the offence,” Watson stated. “Obviously, I’m going down; I’ve got to find methods to fill that.