Green Bay Packers Linked to Controversial $120 Million Trade

The Green Bay Packers are still sorting out the aftermath of a frightening moment in their Week 2 overtime win over the New York Jets.

Jayden Reed went down on the second snap after a short catch and a collision that sent medical staff from both sidelines onto the field. He left MetLife Stadium on a spine board and spent the night in a New Jersey hospital.

By Monday, the picture had sharpened. What first looked like a neck injury was later described as a back injury, and Reed was expected to return to Green Bay while the team evaluated treatment and a recovery window.

That window is the problem. Green Bay already sits at 1-1. Christian Watson and Matthew Golden remain the featured receivers, but the offense is suddenly thin at the third spot.

Reed had signed a three-year extension in the spring and was supposed to be a reliable piece of the passing game. His absence, even if temporary, creates an opening the front office cannot ignore if the timeline stretches.

That is where Brandon Aiyuk enters the conversation, according to Max Dible of Heavy.com.

The San Francisco 49ers still hold the rights to the 28-year-old receiver, who has not played since tearing his ACL and MCL in 2024. He is owed money on a four-year, $120 million contract that runs through 2028, though the team has already voided some guarantees after he stayed away from the building.

Kyle Shanahan made the organization’s stance plain after Sunday’s win over Miami: there are no plans to put Aiyuk back on the field in San Francisco.

The 49ers have been trying to move him for months. Interest has been limited because of the contract, the long layoff, and Aiyuk’s public frustration with the franchise.

Reports have floated the idea that a modest draft pick, perhaps even a conditional seventh-rounder, could be enough to get a deal done if the acquiring team can restructure the remaining money. For Green Bay, that price would look attractive on paper. Aiyuk posted more than 1,300 receiving yards the last time he was healthy.

He would give Jordan Love another proven target while Reed heals.

The catch is everything that comes with him. Aiyuk has been away from football for a long stretch. His recent comments and hold-in have raised questions about how he would fit inside a locker room that the Packers have worked hard to keep stable.

Green Bay would also have to decide whether the remaining salary is worth absorbing for a player who might not be ready to contribute immediately.

A trade is not inevitable. The Packers could wait to see how Reed’s back responds this week and whether younger options can fill the gap against Atlanta on Thursday.

Still, the combination of Reed’s uncertain status and Aiyuk’s availability has made the idea worth discussing. If the price stays low and the contract can be made manageable, Green Bay would be adding talent at a position that just got thinner. Whether that talent is worth the risk is the question the organization now has to answer.