The Packers are still looking for answers at receiver, and J. Michael Sturdivant looks like the kind of swing worth taking.
With Jayden Reed out for the season after a neck injury in Week 2, Green Bay has spent the last few weeks trying to patch together a third option. The results have been thin.
Skyy Moore has six catches for 35 yards. Bo Melton, for all his experience in the offense, has not given the Packers much as a pass catcher.
Savion Williams is back on the practice field, but how quickly he ramps up - and what he can actually deliver once he’s back - remains unclear.
That leaves Sturdivant, the undrafted rookie who may not be the obvious answer but might be the most interesting one. He is still largely an unknown, and that alone gives him a different kind of appeal. He also flashed in a way Packers fans won’t forget, going for 112 yards in the preseason finale.
Green Bay has already shown a willingness to use him. In Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, Sturdivant played nearly a third of the offensive snaps and caught all three of his targets for 22 yards.
Then came last week in Tampa Bay, where he was targeted once and played only two offensive snaps outside of special teams. For a player the team has kept on the roster, that kind of usage feels hard to justify.
Moore and Melton have the edge in experience, and that matters. They’re more likely to be in the right spot and run the right route.
Melton knows the offense. Moore has been around.
But the production hasn’t matched the comfort level. Melton dropped a potential big gain against the Buccaneers and has just one catch on four targets this season.
Moore has six receptions on 13 targets, with a long gain of 12, and he finished Sunday with one catch for minus-two yards.
The Packers still haven’t brought in a receiver from outside the building or from their own practice squad to replace Reed. So Sturdivant isn’t stuck behind a deep, crowded rotation. He’s just buried.
There’s also reason to think his skill set fits what Green Bay needs. At 6-foot-3 with nearly Christian Watson-level speed, he gives the Packers size and vertical ability they don’t have in abundance.
He also has the traits to develop into a solid blocker like Watson and Melton, though his prospect profile noted he needs to get more physical in run blocking. Still, that hardly feels like a compelling reason to keep him off the field.
Especially not when the current alternatives have offered so little. Melton and Moore are both important on special teams, but as receivers they’ve combined for what could generously be called half of a decent option.
The Packers don’t need a star to step into Reed’s place. They just need someone.
Right now, the top of the passing game is Watson, Matthew Golden, and tight end Tucker Kraft. Green Bay has also leaned more on tight ends and running backs to absorb the extra targets since Reed went down.
That approach is fine if it keeps the offense moving. But with the rest of the receiver room producing so little, it makes sense to give Sturdivant more of those reps.
The Packers gave him a roster spot. They might as well use it.
In Other News...
Packers Pass Rush May Be Close To A Huge Boost
Micah Parsons remains sidelined by a left knee injury, and the Packers are not expecting him back for Week 5, but there are signs the recovery is moving in the right direction. Head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst both have stressed that Parsons is making progress, even if the team is still keeping the timeline guarded because of how central he is to their plans.
The cautious approach makes sense for a pass rush that could look very different once Parsons is available again. For now, Green Bay is watching the rehab closely and waiting for the next step in his ramp-up, with his return date still uncertain as the Packers try to balance urgency with the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]
Why Packers Fans Still Talk About What No. 89 Came To Mean
Before it was attached to memorable catches and familiar Sunday moments, No. 89 carried a different kind of Green Bay weight. The number has been worn by a few recognizable Packers over the years, including Mark Chmura and James Jones, but the deeper thread in the jerseys history runs through a linebacker who helped define one of the franchises most dominant eras.
Dave Robinson arrived as a first-round pick in 1963 and became part of the force behind three consecutive NFL championships, plus two Super Bowl wins. His place in Packers history was cemented long ago with Hall of Fame recognition in Green Bay and later in Canton, which is why fans still bring his name up whenever the conversation turns to the best player to ever wear that number. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Rivalry Game Just Got More Complicated For Sunday
Caleb Williams return to practice Friday added a layer of uncertainty to an already charged NFC North matchup, and it matters plenty to the Packers as Sunday approaches. The Chicago quarterback had missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, leaving the Bears to lean on Tyson Bagent, who stepped in last week and helped guide them to a win over the New York Jets.
Williams is now listed as questionable, which leaves Chicago with a late call to make on its most important position. If he is not ready to go, Bagent would get the nod again, giving Green Bay a very different look to prepare for and turning an already familiar rivalry game into one with a little more suspense. [Read more 🡒]