Romeo Doubs’ puzzling decline puts Packers future in doubt

It’s been bad. Playing on the final year of his contract, Doubs’ prospects seem to have flip-flopped once again. After drawing speculation as a trade candidate, he won back significant favor with his early-season production, re-opening conversations about whether the Packers would be wise to pay him after all. Now, it’s back to being unclear whether the team needs him at all.

Doubs has faded dramatically in second half

It’s not as though Doubs is underperforming against the standard of past performance. In three seasons prior, he topped out at 674 receiving yards in 2023 and a career-high 46 yards per game last season (13 games).

It’s also natural that he would be somewhat less involved in the offense with Watson’s return and now Reed back as well.

Yet he had a season-high 91 yards against Carolina in Watson’s second game back; it’s not just an issue of redistributed production. Sunday was only Reed’s season debut. The Packers have needed some to step up due to constant injuries and the loss of tight end Tucker Kraft. Those contributions have come mostly from Watson, with Doubs often nowhere to be found.

Opportunities were there. Doubs showed himself capable of steady contributions during the first half of the schedule. What happened?

It’s not just bad luck or statistical anomalies. He doesn’t look the same on the field. Notes Kruse in another tweet discussing the Doubs dropoff, “I don’t really get it. Just seems like he’s lost all his juice. Everything looks really labored.”

Aside from small issues here and there, injuries haven’t been a major problem for Doubs this season. He’s been more available than normal (Doubs was limited to 13 games in two of his first three seasons). Poor health doesn’t explain the decline.

The clock is ticking on Doubs’ time in Green Bay. Whether  it’s this season or next, Matthew Golden should show progress. He already did for several weeks of his rookie campaign before getting injured and going on his own MIA stint. With Watson and Reed back and Golden’s projected growth, if Doubs’ disappearing act continues, he won’t give Green Bay much reason to keep him around once his contract expires.