Getty Geronimo Allison #81 of the Green Bay Packers is tackled in the second quarter by Daryl Worley #20 of the Oakland Raiders at Lambeau Field on October 20, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Geronimo Allison never looked better than he did in his brief third season for the Green Bay Packers.
Allison caught 19 passes for 289 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns through the first four games of the 2018 season before a concussion and, later, a groin injury limited the rest of his year to a single, 14-yard catch. Reasonably, expectations for the seasoned wideout rose coming into 2019 after Allison spent the offseason nursing his body back to health.
With Randall Cobb departing in the offseason, there was also room for a new No. 2 receiver to take over on the opposite side of Davante Adams.
So … what happened?
Don’t get the wrong idea, Allison has been involved through 10 games this season for the Packers, playing 60 percent of offensive snaps. But his 23 catches for 211 yards aren’t too inspiring for a fourth-year receiver on the tail end of a one-year contract, especially with younger talents such as Marquez Valdes Scantling and, more recently, Allen Lazard surpassing him.
Geronimo Allison with the catch and the moves 🕺 @813Geronimo
Aaron Rodgers will always need talented targets in the passing game, and there is something to say about Allison’s experience in the system compared with the rest of the receiving corps, but does his current level of performance warrant a new contract for the 2020 season and beyond?
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Breaking Down Allison’s Chances of Staying a Packer
The aforementioned experience with Rodger and the Packers helps bolster Allison’s case, but the former University of Illinois receiver has other things going for him, too.
One of the lingering concerns coming into the season with Allison was whether his health would hold up. While he missed a season-high 11 games last year, he didn’t play all 16 games in either of his first two seasons with a combination of injuries and a brief suspension. He has, however, proven more resilient this season after overcoming a doubtful status in Week 7.
A low-key role in the slot is understandable considering how the Packers have spread out their passing offense, deploying running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams — averaging two touchdowns per game as a tandem — and veteran tight end Jimmy Graham with much success.
Though, Allison has fewer catches than all three of them along with more dropped passes than any other player on the roster with three, according to Fox Sports statistics. He also has the second-lowest catch percentage (62.2 percent) among the team’s receivers.
As a restricted free agent back in March, Allison opted for a one-year, $2.8 million deal to remain with the Packers rather than let another team get a chance at signing him to an offer sheet, but he’ll become unrestricted at the end of the season when his contract ends.
The fact that several NFL teams could benefit from someone like Allison casts little doubt on him playing during the 2020 season, but it remains unclear whether the Packers will re-sign him. Allison indicated Green Bay was where he wanted to play when talking with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Jim Owczarski earlier this year.
“Honestly, I’m happy here. This is my home,” Allison said.
“If it was up to me, I would want to be here and stay consistent here throughout my career. But, just going over the years, I understand I have a strong faith and a strong work ethic and my talent, my production; that playing in this league is all about mental toughness and then production.”
The Packers will also have decisions to make on second-year Lazard as well as fellow wideout Jake Kumerow, who has 125 yards and a touchdown over his last four games. Both will become exclusive-rights free agents for 2020.
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