The Green Bay Packers parted ways with one of their veteran wide receivers before their Week 15 contest against the Los Angeles Rams, but it didn’t take long for the former first-round pick to get claimed off of waivers.
Hours before their primetime Monday Night Football matchup on December 19, the Packers released veteran receiver Sammy Watkins. The move came as the Packers got rookie receiver Romeo Doubs back from injured reserve, and with the emergence of the team’s two rookies in Doubs and Christian Watson, the Packers decide to rely more heavily on their younger players for the rest of the season.
Fortunately for Watkins, it didn’t take long for him to find a new team. Tom Pelissero with NFL Network tweeted that the Baltimore Ravens had claimed the 29-year-old receiver off of waivers.
The #Ravens claimed WR Sammy Watkins off waivers, per source.
The move allows the Packers to feature their young receivers more, while Watkins was able to keep playing and reunite with a team that he played for during the 2021 season.
Another Tough Year for Sammy Watkins
There have been flashes throughout Watkins’ NFL career that have reminded fans why he was taken with the fourth overall pick back in 2014. Unfortunately, injuries and inconsistency have made it hard for the 29-year-old to reach his full potential.
Watkins was a superstar at Clemson, lighting it up as one of the most exciting receivers in college football. In three seasons for the Tigers, he was a two-time All-American while catching 240 passes for 3,391 yards, and 27 touchdowns.
After Watkins decided to forego his senior season, the Buffalo Bills took Watkins with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. His career got off to a strong start with over 2,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in his first two seasons, but a foot injury in 2016 caused him to miss half the season.
Since then, Watkins has bounced around the league with stops in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Baltimore, and Green Bay. He was part of a Super Bowl championship in with the Chiefs in 2019, but hasn’t received any individual accolades during his career.
After another long-term injury at the start of this season, Watkins wasn’t able to break back into Green Bay’s rotation as consistently as he’d like. Now, the 29-year-old will have an opportunity to be more involved in Baltimore’s offense for the rest of the year.
Green Bay’s Rookies Are Ascending
Neither of Green Bay’s top rookie receivers were first-round picks, but Watson and Doubs have started to carve out key roles in the Packers offense.
Watson’s career got off to a disappointing start after dropping a potential touchdown on his NFL snap, then missing multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. However, the second-round pick caught fire over a four-game stretch, racking up eight total touchdowns over those four weeks.
Doubs got off to a more promising start, despite being a fourth-round pick out of Nevada. He has caught 36 passes for 369 yards and three touchdowns this year, but a high-ankle sprain against the Detroit Lions forced him to miss multiple weeks. He was finally able to return in Week 15 against the Rams, catching five passes for 55 yards.
With the two young rookies getting comfortable in Green Bay’s offense, Watson and Doubs are looking like the future at the position for the Packers.
Comments
Former Packers Wide Receiver Reunites With AFC Team