Getty Green Bay Packers receiver Amari Rodgers could be on his way out.
The Green Bay Packers are starting to figure things out on offense thanks to some new faces at wide receiver. However, those new faces mean that one of the younger players on the roster could soon be on his way out.
In a recent article with Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine listed a handful of players who the Packers should consider trading away before the deadline. Ballentine made an argument for the Packers to ship off former first-round pick Jordan Love and edge rusher Tipa Galeai, but he also mentioned why the team needs to move on from former third-round pick Amari Rodgers.
“If Amari Rodgers can’t break this team’s wide receiver rotation now, he’s never going to,” Ballentine said. “The Packers have had about as much upheaval in the receiver room as possible this offseason, and the former second-round pick out of Clemson has still been relegated to return duties on special teams…Even if a player hasn’t panned out as expected, there are generally front offices who liked a player during the draft process that will try to bring them in.”
With the Packers signing kickoff return specialist Corey Ballentine to their practice squad, Rodgers could firmly be on the hot seat going forward if he can’t contribute as a return man.
Is Amari Rodgers Trending Toward Bust Territory?
It hasn’t been a great start to Rodgers’ NFL career, and if he continues to struggle in his limited role with the Packers, then analysts will start to confidently label the second-year player as a bust.
It hasn’t always been this rough for Rodgers. Coming out of high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, Rodgers was a 4-star recruit and just outside of the top 100 players in the class of 2017. Programs including Alabama and USC offered the wide receiver recruit, but Rodgers decided to play for the Clemson Tigers instead.
Rodgers tore his ACL in spring before his junior year, but he still had a very strong college career. He was a national champion in 2018 and a first-team All-ACC selection as a senior with 77 receptions for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite his small stature at 5’9″ and 212 pounds, Rodgers was picked up by the Packers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the expectation that he could work as a slot receiver and return specialist for the team.
Unfortunately, Rodgers has struggled to break into Green Bay’s offensive rotation, catching just four passes for 45 yards since the start of 2021. He has looked uncomfortable as a return man as well, routinely dropping or awkwardly catching punts and kickoffs with questionable decisions on when and when not to call for a fair catch.
With the signing of Ballentine, Rodgers’ future in Green Bay is in serious jeopardy unless he can turn things around quickly.
Young Packers Receivers Are Stepping Up
While Rodgers is struggling to even get offensive snaps, the Packers have a pair of rookie receivers that Packers fans are excited about.
Fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs is looking like a budding star after a breakout game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Sammy Watkins placed on injured reserve and Christian Watson out with a hamstring injury, Doubs caught eight passes for 73 yards and his first career touchdown in Week 3.
While Watson was inactive in Week 3 and dropped a potential 75-yard touchdown on his first ever offensive snap in the NFL, the second-round pick is looking like an exciting player based off of his speed alone. The Packers are finding creative ways to get him the ball, and once he’s healthy again, Aaron Rodgers could try to find ways to take deep shots to the rookie again in the coming weeks.