The Green Bay Packers were among the worst teams in the NFL in 2024 at dropping passes. Despite this, the offense finished fifth in the league in yards gained and eighth in points scored. Keep in mind, in addition to the dropped passes, starting quarterback Jordan Love missed two full games and parts of two others due to injuries. But can the Packers reduce the number of drops in the coming season? Will 2025 be any better? Here are five reasons it could be:
First Reason: Jordan Love Is Healthy Again
Love suffered a knee injury during the final drive of last year’s season opener in Brazil. He was not fully healthy for the rest of the season. The injured knee limited his ability to scramble and his accuracy when throwing downfield.
This year, assuming he does not reinjure the knee, Love should be able to plant his foot without pain and have full range of motion when he throws. This should increase his accuracy and that should help make his passes more catchable.
Second Reason: Matthew Golden
We still don’t know how big a role Golden will have in his rookie season, but the first-round pick should see the field more frequently as the season progresses and he gets more comfortable in the offense.
Golden had a reputation for having good hands in college. That is a skill that should translate to the NFL. Even if Golden has a learning curve with the playbook and the speed of the pro game, his good hands should continue to be a part of his skill set. As he takes on a bigger role, the number of dropped passes should be reduced.
Third Reason: Jayden Reed
Jayden Reed led the Packers in catches in both 2023 and 2024. He again figures to play a big role in the offense this season with his primary role being the team’s slot receiver.
Reed really struggled in the second half of 2024. He finished the season nine drops in 75 targets, according to pro-football-reference.com. That was an unusually high drop percentage of 12.0.
During his rookie year, Reed dropped only three passes on 94 targets which equals a 3.2 drop percentage.
Reed did not have a reputation for dropping a lot of passes before last season. Even if he splits the difference and his drop percentage goes down to five or six percent, that will reduce the number of dropped passes for the Packers.
Fourth Reason: Tucker Kraft
Tight end Tucker Kraft figures to be a bigger part of the Green Bay offense in 2025. Head coach Matt LaFleur said he wants to get Kraft the ball more often and not just on short check downs which is how he was most often used last season.
Kraft finished last season with 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. He dropped five passes on 70 targets. That’s a 7.1 drop percentage. During his rookie year, he was not credited with any drops on 40 targets.
Again, Kraft figures to fall somewhere in the middle on drops in 2025. Even if the drop percentage goes to about four, that will decrease the number of dropped passes for the team.
If Luke Musgrave is healthy, he should also help reduce drops. He dropped just three passes on 46 targets as a rookie. He only had 10 targets in 2024, but did not drop a pass.
Fifth Reason: Attention to Detail
There is little doubt the Packers receivers will be paying more attention to reducing drops in 2025. Many receivers have worked extensively over the offseason with a jugs machine. The coaching staff will also be emphasizing improvement in this area.
Even players like Dontavion Wicks, who have dealt with drops during their careers, tend to have a bad year followed by a better season. If that’s the case, Wicks would be due for fewer drops than a year ago. If Wicks returns to his career average, there should be improvement here.
If the Packers can become a team close to the NFL average in dropped passes, the offense could be even more consistent and dangerous. It’s a challenge for the team. How much improvement we see will have a big impact on the team’s 2025 performance.