Injuries force Packers’ hand at key position as Green Bay turns every stone to find new options for Jordan Love
Over the past few days, the Packers have added wide receivers Kaden Prather, Kisean Johnson, and rookie Chris Hilton Jr.
The Green Bay Packers have dealt with a wave of injuries at wide receiver during training camp, forcing general manager Brian Gutekunst to scour the market for reinforcements. Former first-round pick Matthew Golden is dealing with a toe injury, and Jayden Reed has an ankle injury that has kept him off the practice field since Family Night.
The Packers also recently waived/injured Brenden Rice, leaving the coaching staff thin on options for both practices and preparation ahead of Thursday night’s preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
To address the depth concerns, Green Bay signed three wide receivers over the past week: Kaden Prather, Kisean Johnson, and Chris Hilton Jr. Each brings a different background, and the additions give coach Matt LaFleur’s staff enough bodies to run a functional practice while the starters recover.
Prather and Johnson bring familiarity
Prather, signed last week, has some NFL experience on his resume. He was a seventh-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in last year’s draft and also played for the Louisville Kings of the UFL earlier this year.
Johnson is a first-year player who spent four seasons at Alabama State before playing at Western Kentucky in 2024. He is not a complete stranger to the Packers organization. Johnson spent time on Green Bay’s practice squad during the 2025 postseason after originally signing with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent. That prior exposure to the system makes him a useful plug-and-play addition at a time when reps need to be distributed quickly.
Hilton could be the most intriguing addition
The most compelling name among the three newcomers is Chris Hilton Jr., whom the Packers claimed off waivers from the Washington Commanders. Hilton is an undrafted rookie who signed with Washington after the draft but was waived on Aug. 8.
Hilton played college football at LSU, a program with a well-documented track record of developing NFL-caliber wide receivers. His college production was modest: 10 receptions for 122 yards and no touchdowns last season, finishing his career with 41 catches, 780 yards, and six touchdowns. The numbers do not jump off the page, but the physical talent is real. He is probably lighter than the Packers would generally prefer for the position, but at this stage of training camp, Gutekunst’s objective is clear: add pieces, evaluate what they can do, and see if anyone earns a longer look.
Thursday’s preseason opener could reveal sleepers
With Golden and Reed likely to sit out Thursday’s game against Pittsburgh as they recover, the preseason opener becomes an extended audition for the back end of the depth chart. Golden and Reed are both reasonably expected to miss the preseason opener as they continue recovering from their respective toe and ankle injuries. With that, young players like Savion Williams, Isaiah Neyor and J. Michael Sturdivant should receive more chances.
The starters are essentially established. The question now is whether any of these late additions can prove they belong on the 53-man roster or, at minimum, earn a practice squad spot.
