Who Should I Start? Jayden Reed or Brian Thomas Jr.

Thursday, August 13, 8:31 PM

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed was on the field with the starters in the Packers' 28-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first preseason game for Green Bay. Reed, who signed a three-year extension to stay with the Packers through the 2029 season, earned two targets, catching one of them for 19 yards. Notably, per PFF's Nathan Jahnke, Reed did not play outside of 11 personnel, when three wide receivers were in the formation. The Packers played two snaps of 12 personnel with the starters in and Matthew Golden was in the game while Reed was not. That is a clear signal that things will likely remain the same for Reed as it's been in previous seasons with him being a slot-only player. Reed should be a focal point in the Packers' offense, but he's behind Tucker Kraft and potentially Golden and Christian Watson in the pecking order. The Packers' next preseason game comes on August 21st against the Denver Broncos. For fantasy football purposes, Reed is a volatile WR3 with upside for 2026.