The Packers have a decision to make.
The Green Bay Packers won without Romeo Doubs on the back of big performances from Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft, but the offense wasn’t humming consistently without their former fourth-round pick in Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.
The Packers suspended Doubs for one game following reports of his frustration over his role in the offense. The team never revealed the specifics of his suspension, only saying it was “for conduct detrimental to the team.”
Head coach Matt LaFleur said he spoke with Doubs and expects the wide receiver to return with the rest of the team for Wednesday’s practice. It’s good to hear, but after not showing up for practice last week, Doubs needs to regain the Packers’ trust.
If not, they will have to consider their options.
Packers insider believes team could trade for a wide receiver before the deadline
Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote an excellent article on the Doubs suspension. The next step for Green Bay is to figure out whether Doubs’ decision is in the past and if they can move forward or whether it’s a more complex issue.
“The Packers must find out quickly whether they can rely on Doubs this season because if they can’t, they need to find somebody else,” writes Silverstein.
LaFleur has said all the right things since the Packers’ win over the Rams, but nobody saw Doubs’ absence coming. Regaining the trust will take time. If Green Bay turns to the trade market, Silverstein doesn’t believe it would be for a reunion with Davante Adams.
“Don’t think Davante Adams,” Silverstein added. “Think Cleveland’s Amari Cooper or Jacksonville’s Christian Kirk. Or some other tanking team’s No. 1 or No. 2 receiver who would fit into the Packers’ receiver room.”
To be clear, Silverstein isn’t reporting that the Packers are actively seeking a Doubs replacement, but he makes a great point that the team needs to quickly figure out where it stands. Has Doubs put last week’s no-show behind him, and is he fully committed to the team moving forward?
If the answer is yes, great. He can resume his role as a key pass-catcher in the Packers’ offense. If not, the team has a decision to make. Can they win consistently without Doubs, or would they need to explore bringing in a veteran?
With the NFL trade deadline less than a month away, the Packers don’t have long to determine their next steps with Doubs.