Based on the rookie’s performance during training camp and the preseason, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is expecting wide receiver Romeo Doubs to be on the field with him come the start of the regular season.
“Doubs has done a lot of really nice things. The standard for him is not going to be the standard for a normal rookie here in the past, especially in the last 4-5 years. He’s going to be expected to play based on his performance so far in camp,” Rodgers said. “We have to hold him to a standard that I know he’s capable of reaching. He cares about it. He’s a great kid. He’s made some instinctual plays that you can’t really coach.”
Translated: An opportunity exists for a young receiver that often hasn’t been available in Green Bay, and Doubs has put himself into a position to take advantage once the real games start.
It’s been an up and down training camp journey so far, but Doubs has consistently made splash plays during practices and he has a touchdown catch in each of the first two preseason games.
Rodgers was especially happy with the way Doubs ran a route and completed a catch against the Saints last Friday night.
Dan Orlovsky of ESPN highlighted the play below:
This doesn’t look like a rookie WR let alone a 4th round pick…absolutely fantastic by Doubs @packers @RobDemovsky @Peter_Bukowski pic.twitter.com/fsoLD6Enas
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) August 22, 2022
Rodgers said Doubs improvised a little bit to find the opening, and then he worked back to the ball and made a strong catch with his hands in traffic.
“You like seeing those plays,” Rodgers said. “Gives you confidence that he’s capable of doing some things that might not be on the paper offense.”
While Rodgers wants to lean on veterans Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins at receiver, Doubs’ ability to get off the line of scrimmage and separate within routes is going to be difficult for the Packers to keep off the field, even early in the year as he’s still getting his feet wet in the National Football League.
Rodgers said he often meets with Doubs to go over things and then checks in with Cobb and Lazard to make sure the rookie is absorbing everything the right way during camp.
While fellow rookie Christian Watson attempts to catch up, Doubs is now in a position to be a real factor for Rodgers and the Packers to open 2022.
