Ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the New York Giants, the Green Bay Packers made a rather shocking decision on Saturday involving veteran wide receiver Malik Heath.
According to Zach Kruse of the Packers Wire, the Packers announced that Heath would not be traveling with the team and is listed as out due to a coach’s decision. This move was puzzling to Packers fans, as Heath has played in Green Bay’s previous nine games.
However, in last week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Heath saw his snaps (20) take a bit of a dip from Week 9 (27), as Bo Melton, who was converted to a CB this summer, played a season-high 26 snaps.
Melton took advantage of the extra snaps as he had two receptions (five targets) for 28 yards. With no Heath this week, the immediate thought is that Melton could see some more time on offense against the Giants. That proved not to be true, though, as Melton was not targeted with a single pass in Green Bay's 27-20 victory.
In terms of the long-term future of Heath, this decision by the Packers doesn’t bode well for the 25-year-old receiver.
Packers Quietly Put Malik Heath on Notice Ahead of Week 11 vs. Giants
The 6-foot-2 receiver has done much during his three years with the Pack, after originally joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2023. Heath has surprisingly played more on offense (612 snaps) than on special teams (151), but you wouldn’t know that judging by his stats.
In 35 career games, Heath has racked up 31 receptions (43 targets) for 308 yards and three touchdowns. This season, the former Ole Miss wideout has six receptions (six targets) for 86 yards, which would put him on pace to surpass his 2024 numbers – 10 receptions (13 targets) for 97 yards and 2 TDs.
However, looking at the Packers’ WR unit heading into 2026, there’s not much room for Heath to be a contributor. He’s currently scheduled to be a restricted free agent, which means Green Bay can match any offer for him.
But based on what he’s done in a Packers uniform, there’s no value in matching any free agent offers for him. They have more than enough depth, and, despite his lack of involvement on Sunday, Melton could easily fill his void if Green Bay doesn’t need him at cornerback.
In addition to restricted free agency, the Packers could also pass on tendering Heath and let him become an unrestricted free agent. If things don’t improve from here, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Green Bay take this route.
That said, the book is not completely written on Heath’s Packers career. However, not being with the team for a coach’s decision is not a good look. Hopefully, we’ll get some news in the coming days on why he was not with the team, let alone on the field.