A 1,000-yard season from a pass catcher isn’t exactly a rare sight in Green Bay’s storied history. It’s happened 40 times, dating all the way back to Don Hutson’s 1,211-yard campaign in 1942. But as we near the end of the 2025 season, that milestone looks like it’ll stay out of reach for the fourth straight year - and that’s starting to become a bit of a trend.
Right now, Romeo Doubs leads the Packers with 578 receiving yards through 14 games. To crack 1,000, he’d need to average over 140 yards per game across the final three contests.
That’s a tall order for any receiver, but especially for Doubs, who’s yet to post a 100-yard game in his career. So barring a late-season explosion, Green Bay is staring down its fourth consecutive season without a 1,000-yard receiver - a drought the franchise hasn’t seen in over four decades.
Historically, the Packers have had only two longer stretches without a 1,000-yard receiver: a 10-year gap from 1942 to 1952, and a 24-year run from 1956 to 1980. But those were different eras - the pre-modern passing days, when the NFL was still figuring out what a high-powered aerial attack even looked like.
Since the late 1970s, when rule changes opened up the passing game, consistent 1,000-yard seasons have become the norm for top-tier receivers. And yet, Green Bay has fallen behind the curve.
To put this in perspective, every other team in the NFL has had at least one 1,000-yard receiver since 2021 - except for one: the New England Patriots. Their last player to hit that mark was Julian Edelman back in 2019. That puts the Packers in rare company - and not the kind you want to be in.
So, what’s been holding them back?
It’s not a lack of talent. It’s more a mix of bad timing, injuries, and constant turnover at the position - a perfect storm that’s kept any one receiver from breaking through.
Let’s rewind to 2022. That offseason, the Packers parted ways with Davante Adams, one of the league’s premier wideouts.
In response, they launched a mini-rebuild at the position, drafting Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure. They also brought in Sammy Watkins and leaned on veterans like Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard.
But injuries hit fast and hard. Lazard led the team with 713 yards, but he missed two games and was limited in another.
Watson and Doubs both missed time, and Aaron Rodgers played through a broken thumb for most of the season - a factor that clearly impacted the passing game’s rhythm and efficiency.
In 2023, the story was much the same. Jayden Reed emerged as the team’s top receiver with 793 yards, but he missed a game and saw limited action in several others. Watson, once again, couldn’t stay healthy, logging just nine games - a career low.
Then came 2024, which was less about injuries and more about execution. Watson finally stayed on the field, playing in 15 games, but only managed 29 catches.
Reed, who played all 17 games, racked up a respectable 857 yards - but drops were a major issue. Even the more lenient evaluators at Pro Football Focus credited him with 10 drops.
Had he hauled in those passes at his usual clip, he likely would’ve flirted with the 1,000-yard mark.
This season, 2025, has been more of the same - a promising start derailed by more injury misfortune. Watson, who tore his ACL in the final game of 2024, didn’t return until late October.
Before that injury, he was on pace to top 1,000 yards. Tight end Tucker Kraft was also trending toward a monster season - a projected 73 catches, 1,139 yards, and 14 touchdowns - before a knee injury against the Panthers cut his year short.
In today’s NFL, where passing numbers are soaring and rules favor the offense, it takes a lot to go wrong for a team to go four straight seasons without a 1,000-yard receiver. And yet, that’s exactly where the Packers find themselves. Whether it’s been injuries, inconsistency, or just plain bad luck, the production hasn’t been there from any one guy.
There’s reason to believe the streak could end next year. The talent is still in the building, and a healthier season from Watson, Reed, or even Kraft could get them over the hump. But for now, the drought continues - and in a league built for passing, that’s a storyline worth watching in Green Bay.