Getty Former Packers wide receiver Amari Rodgers has signed with the Colts.
Amari Rodgers, one of the Green Bay Packers’ most recent third-round misses, will have a chance to earn a roster spot with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023.
According to the team’s official transaction wire for August 2, the Colts officially signed the former Packers wide receiver to their 90-man roster on Wednesday and waived wideout Johnny King in a corresponding move to free up the necessary roster spot.
The Packers had originally traded up in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft in order to get Rodgers, feeling confident about his abilities as both a slot receiver and a return specialist. After a disappointing season and a half in Green Bay, though, he was waived last November and quickly claimed by the Houston Texans to finish out his second year.
As Zach Kruse of Packers Wire pointed out, Rodgers was the most recent “failed” third-round pick under Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. The Packers were also unable to get major contributions out of former third-round picks Oren Burks and Jace Sternberger and have still yet to see a payoff with Josiah Deguara or Sean Rhyan.
Rodgers caught 12 of his 17 targets for 154 yards, nine first downs and a touchdown in his six games with the Texans to close out the 2022 season and was thought to be in contention for a depth role on their 53-man roster in 2023 heading into training camp, but — as Rodgers told The Houston Chronicle — he requested to be released from the team and had that request granted on July 30, freeing him up to sign with the Colts.
Now, Rodgers will attempt to crack the rotation with one of the Texans’ division rivals.
Amari Rodgers Doubted Roster Chances With Texans
In a phone interview with Johnathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle, Rodgers explained that he had requested to be released from the Texans after he realized that he was not “going to get a real opportunity” to show his skills and contend for a roster spot.
The Texans had signed Robert Woods and Noah Brown to free-agent deals and invested a pair of draft selections into Tank Dell (third-rounder) and Xavier Hutchinson (sixth-rounder) in the spring, creating more competition for Rodgers in his roster pursuit. And with John Metchie III also projected to return to the fold, the chances of Rodgers being able to earn a meaningful spot in the rotation had shrunken significantly.
“I came to the conclusion that I wasn’t going to get a real opportunity to show what I could do,” Rodgers said. “It wasn’t because I was playing bad or anything happened. I was looking for a better opportunity for my career. I feel like I can help a team.”
Unfortunately for Rodgers, his roster chase might not get any easier in Indianapolis.
The Colts signed veteran receivers Isaiah McKenzie and Breshad Perriman during free agency and drafted North Carolina standout Josh Downs in the third round of the 2023 draft, giving them quite a bit of competitive depth for regular roles in the rotation. They also return top starter Michael Pittman Jr. — who is chasing a lucrative extension in the final year of his rookie deal — along with 2022 second-round pick Alec Pierce.
Rodgers will still get the chance to compete, but he will have his work cut out for him.
Can Jayden Reed Be the Slot Weapon Rodgers Wasn’t?
The Packers have moved on from the prospect of Rodgers being a weapon for them in the slot, but there is still a young receiver standing in that spotlight: Jayden Reed.
Reed was one of the Packers’ two second-round picks (No. 50 overall) in this past spring’s draft and is looking like he could be a valuable weapon in the slot for new starting quarterback Jordan Love. He ran with starters Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs for the majority of the offseason program, including mandatory minicamp.
In his camp observations, Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated has also noted that Reed has shown that he “has some juice with the ball in his hands” in the first week of practices.
Little trickery with rookie WR Jayden Reed 👀
“Playing the slot for the first time in a long time, I actually like it — working with space, being able to attack guys, step on their toes and make a move,” Reed told reporters on Monday, July 31. “It’s really helping me out a lot to be able to work in space. I haven’t been able to do that in a long time and I’m enjoying it right now.”