Acme Packing Company
With five games left on their regular season schedule, the 2025 Packers are essentially a known commodity. There is very little about this team that can change in a meaningful way as we come down the stretch.
But that’s not to say there are no changes at all. There is still a little wiggle room in the form of a few wildcard players that could move the needle for the Packers on both offense and defense. Here’s a quick look at six of the most significant wildcards on the roster right now.
1 and 2 – Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden
The Packers’ two most diminutive wide receivers have been on the shelf for a while, but both seem to be trending toward a comeback.
Reed has been out since he broke his collarbone in Week 2. The collarbone injury required surgery to fix, and doctors also repaired a Jones fracture in his foot at the same time (which perhaps should have kept him off the field in the first place, but that’s a different question).
Golden, meanwhile, has been dealing with a combination of shoulder and wrist injuries since Week 10. He’s been questionable on the injury report each of the last four weeks (though he played with the designation against the Giants), and he’s also been a limited participant in practice throughout that time — and still is as of this week’s initial injury report.
If and when both Reed and Golden return, it’ll represent significant infusion of speed into the Packers’ offense. But how will they integrate with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Dontayvion Wicks, all of whom have been productive in their absence? Balancing the Packers’ wide receiver talent will be an interesting challenge for Matt LaFleur, but an abundance of options at a given position is a good problem to have.
3 – MarShawn Lloyd
Lloyd has been the Packers’ ultimate mystery box since they drafted him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In the nearly two full seasons he’s been on the roster, he has appeared in exactly one game.
The Packers remain high on his skill set, and why wouldn’t they? He has some of the most intriguing testing numbers of any of the Packers’ backs, and his film shows an explosive and versatile back — albeit one whose limbs seem ready to fall off at just about any moment.
Now Lloyd is back from injured reserve after a preseason injury, and he arrives at a complicated time. The Packers have a good thing going with their existing stable of backs. Josh Jacobs needs no introduction at this point, Emanuel Wilson is solid as a backup, and Chris Brooks is a reliable blocker and receiver. The Packers no doubt want Lloyd involved, but where does he fit?
4 and 5 – Warren Brinson and Karl Brooks
The Packers have a significant problem on their defensive line: they’re about as thin as an NFL team can be. After trading Kenny Clark...
