The Green Bay Packers suffered their third straight loss, and while fans are upset with a lot of things from the game against the Washington Commanders, there’s one player in particular who fans are sick of.
During the 21-23 loss to the Commanders, second-year wide receiver Amari Rodgers coughed up yet another fumble on a punt return, giving Washington the ball inside the red zone. The Packers defense held Washington to a field goal, but the fumble changed the direction of the game after a strong start from both sides of the ball.
To make matters worse, Rodgers’ career numbers stunned fans after the fumble, with the second-year player matching his career total in both catches and fumbles.
Amari Rodgers career receptions: 5
Amari Rodgers career fumbles: 5
Although he was able to haul in two receptions in garbage time to bump up his total to seven career catches, fans had seen enough after yet another giveaway from Rodgers.
“Dear sweet merciful 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus,” one fan tweeted.
“I REALLY wanted this dude to be good. I called for Green Bay to draft him. It’s been a disaster,” another fan shared.
“I wish teams would just admit they were wrong,” one fan tweeted.
With three straight losses, the Packers will need to make some difficult decisions in the coming weeks, particularly as the NFL trade deadline nears. Given how poorly he’s played, there’s a very real chance that Rodgers’ time in Green Bay is coming to an end.
Will the Packers Move on From Amari Rodgers?
Even though he’s not even halfway through his second NFL season, it’s safe to say that Amari Rodgers has earned the “draft bust” label.
Rodgers was an exciting player in college, playing for the Clemson Tigers. Along with winning a national title while at school, Rodgers was a first-team All-ACC selection as a senior, catching 77 passes for 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite his smaller frame at 5’9″, Rodgers was taken in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Packers. Expectations were high for the young receiver, but Rodgers has never hit his full potential in Green Bay, catching just seven passes over his career.
The 23-year-old had been relegated to just special teams duties in 2022 until injuries plagued the wide receiver room. Unfortunately, Rodgers has struggled with that as well, consistently fumbling the ball or making poor decisions.
If the Packers decide to part ways with Rodgers, they could possibly elevate the speedy veteran return specialist in Corey Ballentine from their practice squad.
Injuries Are Plaguing the Packers
Rodgers was forced to play on offense due to all of the injuries at wide receiver, and that could continue to be the case given how things are going.
After placing Randall Cobb on injured reserve, the Packers were without Cobb and rookie Christian Watson. Veteran Sammy Watkins was able to play, but looked hobbled, while No. 1 receiver Allen Lazard left Sunday’s game with a shoulder injury.
If Cobb, Watson, and Lazard all miss time, it will force the Packers to throw more inexperienced receivers out there. The Packers could make a move before the trade deadline for another veteran receiver, but with the way this season is going there’s a very real chance that the Packers could be sellers rather than buyers at the deadline.
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Packers Fans React to Unbelievable Stat for ‘Draft Bust’