Packers Weighing Trade Options for Wide Receivers Wicks and Reed

Green Bay open to moving Dontayvion Wicks, but less so with Jayden Reed

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, the Green Bay Packers are exploring trade options for wide receivers Dontayvion Wicks and Jayden Reed, who are both entering contract years. The team appears more willing to part with Wicks than Reed, as they look to manage their salary cap and compensatory draft picks.

Why it matters

The Packers' handling of Wicks and Reed's contract situations could have significant implications for the team's future roster construction and competitive window. Trades of players in contract years can help the Packers maximize their compensatory draft pick haul, but may also impact the team's on-field performance and fan sentiment.

The details

Fowler reported that teams have shown interest in both Wicks and Reed, but the Packers seem more open to trading Wicks than Reed at this point. The team is looking to manage its salary cap and compensatory draft pick situation, with several key players set to hit free agency in 2027. Clearing Wicks could open up a full-time starting role for 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden, though the team may need to figure out how to best utilize Reed and Golden on the field together.

  • The legal tampering period for NFL free agency begins on March 11, 2026.

The players

Dontayvion Wicks

A wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers who is entering a contract year in 2026.

Jayden Reed

A wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers who is entering a contract year in 2026.

Matthew Golden

A 2025 first-round draft pick of the Green Bay Packers who could see an increased role if the team trades Dontayvion Wicks.

Matt LaFleur

The head coach of the Green Bay Packers, known for favoring larger outside receivers who excel at run blocking.

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What they’re saying

“Also, [A.J.] Brown isn't the only receiver potentially available. Baltimore's Rashod Bateman, Los Angeles' Quentin Johnston and Green Bay's Dontayvion Wicks have come up in my talks. Teams have interest in Green Bay's Jayden Reed, but I don't sense the Packers would trade him at this point.”

— Jeremy Fowler, ESPN Reporter (ESPN)

What’s next

The Packers will need to decide in the coming weeks whether to trade Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, or keep both receivers as they head into the 2026 season.

The takeaway

The Packers' handling of their wide receiver corps, particularly Wicks and Reed, will be a key storyline to watch this offseason as the team looks to balance its short-term competitiveness with long-term roster construction and salary cap management.