Packers Promote Young WR, Sealing Fate of Rodgers’ Top Target

Juwann Winfree wasn’t able to win a spot on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster coming out of training camp, but the young wide receiver will still have a chance to play for them in their Week 1 opener at the Minnesota Vikings.

According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for September 10, the Packers have promoted both Winfree and safety Micah Abernathy from their practice squad to their game-day rosters for Sunday’s matchup with the Vikings. The Packers have also announced both of the moves on their official website.

Winfree had impressed for the Packers throughout training camp, catching seven passes for 75 yards in the preseason and eliciting compliments from Aaron Rodgers for his effort and ability in practice. It had been thought he would have a shot at making their roster as their seventh receiver, but Green Bay stuck to its philosophy and kept their recent draft pick, who in this case was seventh-rounder Samori Toure.

Meanwhile, Abernathy actually made the Packers’ initial active roster coming out of camp, but the former USFL standout was waived the following day to create room for the addition of veteran safety and special teamer Rudy Ford and ended up back on their practice squad after he cleared the waivers. Still, Abernathy played a lot of football for the Packers this summer (111 preseason snaps) and excelled with nearly all of the tasks put in front of him, making him a quality depth call-up for the position in Week 1.

With new changes to the NFL’s practice-squad elevation rules for 2022, elevated players can now be called up a maximum of three times during the season before they are ineligible for standard elevations. Once a player reaches his allotted three promotions, he must be signed to an active-roster contract to play another game. Winfree and Abernathy are now at one apiece.

Winfree’s Promotion Likely Means Lazard is Out

The Packers have said they usually make most of their decisions about practice-squad elevations based on special teams needs, but the news of Winfree’s elevation doesn’t bode well for the status of veteran wide receiver Allen Lazard in Week 1’s opener.

Lazard, who is listed as doubtful against the Vikings, didn’t practice all week after he got his ankle stepped on during drills in the previous week. The 26-year-old receiver had been expected to step up as Aaron Rodgers’ new No. 1 passing target in the wake of Davante Adams’ offseason departure, but Winfree’s promotion suggests the Packers are leaning toward him not playing in the season opener. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be much of a reason for them to add an eighth receiver to their roster.

It might be a long shot, but there is a chance that Winfree could get involved if Lazard is, in fact, ruled out for the game. Rodgers has more reliable targets in veterans Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins, but he also built some trust with Winfree over the past year and could feel more comfortable with him than a rookie like Toure.

Winfree caught eight passes for 58 yards and five first downs in 2021 for the Packers, clawing his way up from the practice squad to a full-time spot on the active roster. Even if fans are anxious to see the new rookies, there’s merit in having the experience.

Will Rookie WRs Seize Big Role Against Vikings?

The Packers will need multiple receivers to step up if they are going to be successful against the Vikings without Lazard, meaning veterans and rookies alike will have to be ready for their number to get called on Sunday. But will the hotshot rookies be able to distinguish themselves from two veterans with far more NFL experience?

Romeo Doubs is the top rookie in the conversation for big contributions on Sunday after a standout camp that drew quite a bit of praise from Rodgers. While he struggled at times with dropped balls, he was also someone that Rodgers said would most likely be held to a higher standard than the average rookie receiver. If the Packers give him a chance to shine against the Vikings, it could be his first step toward earning a starting role.

The other big name is second-round Christian Watson, who was taken off the injury report heading into the weekend and seems full-go for the opener in Minnesota. The Packers traded both of their second-round picks to move up and get Watson at No. 34 overall in the 2022 NFL draft, but they only got to see a limited amount from him this summer as he recovered from a minor knee procedure. Given how Rodgers has awed at his speed and size in practice, he could get a few deep-ball looks against the Vikings — or maybe even expand his role further.

That said, Rodgers has also gushed about Watkins and Cobb in practice recently and figures to lean heavily on them throughout their first game. He will also have back his trusted tight end, Robert Tonyan Jr., who could eat up a large share of the targets, too, if he looks comfortable on his surgically-repaired (ACL) knee.