by On Sunday, the Green Bay Packers host the Arizona Cardinals in a Week 6 NFC showdown. At 3-2, the Packers have an unremarkable record. However, it’s the best fans could have hoped for after Jordan Love suffered a horrific injury five weeks ago. After missing two games in which Malik Willis led them to their first two wins, Love is back and looking for pace. The NFC North is rich in talent, with all three rivals boasting winning records, including the Minnesota Vikings’ astonishing 5-0 record behind journeyman Sam Darnold and Kevin O’Connell’s revamped offense.
The only real blight on the young Packers’ long-term ambitions was the puzzling absence of Romeo Doubs. The former University of Nevada fourth-rounder was unable to make it to practice last Thursday, a day after Matt LaFleur laid out the Week 5 game plan on Wednesday. While Doubs’ absence remains a mystery, Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated claimed that Doubs was upset about his role in the offense. In their initial reaction, fans and media pointed out that the decision went against everything Doubs showed in his character before Week 6.
Regardless of the problem, Doubs is back in training this week. He will start Sunday at Lambeau Field alongside Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks, highlighting a crucial aspect of Green Bay’s organizational strength.
Holdouts are becoming increasingly popular around the league, especially with top receivers like Ja’Marr Chase and CeeDee Lamb. However, the Packers continued to operate cohesively and without incident. When their rising stars have concerns, Green Bay prevents the incident from getting out of control.
The Packers suspended Doubs for last Sunday’s game, but he immediately returned to practice without further comment. Neither the coaching staff nor his fellow receivers nor the media showed any interest in discussing the issue further. It’s easy to say that everything that happened to Doubs was an isolated incident. However, Green Bay suspended star cornerback Jaire Alexander, who is on a four-year, $84 million contract, for one game last year. Now he’s fully embracing a leadership position, giving speeches in the locker room and embracing the role Brian Gutekunst has assigned him.
Green Bay is known for being a carefully managed design and development organization. After the late Ted Thompson’s transition to Gutekunst, they never wavered from that reputation. They gave Love three years of development under incumbent Aaron Rodgers as teams around the league forced young quarterbacks into action at an earlier age.
They noticeably did avoided controversial free agents. Fans begged them to choose Georgia’s George Pickens when their wide receiver need was at its peak, but they left him out several times. He showed his talent with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his Immature actions make it difficult to reward him generously with a long-term second contract.
The biggest press the Packers have received recently has come from the Rodgers saga. As the COVID-19 pandemic reached America, Rodgers transformed in the eyes of many from a relatively mild-mannered gunslinger to a full-blown conspiracy theorist. Green Bay traded him to the New York Jets for a package of picks that produced rising prospect Lukas Van Ness, tight end Luke Musgrave and potential linebacker Mike future Edgerrin Cooper. Meanwhile, New York has released Robert Saleh and is fighting for a new identity in an AFC East that remains tied to the Buffalo Bills.
Rodgers wasn’t the only homegrown superstar Gutekunst shipped out. After seasons of dominance at Lambeau, Davante Adams became too expensive around the same time he became skeptical of Green Bay’s succession plan at quarterback. Gutekunst also won that trade, sending Adams to Sin City for Quay Walker and Christian Watson. The Las Vegas Raiders couldn’t find a rapprochement with the man who was considered the best wideout in the league at the time. He’s back on the trading block as Gutekunst, LaFleur and the Packers rush forward with an exciting young group.
For the tight-knit Packers, the Doubs situation was the latest reminder that, in a league increasingly dominated by superstars and their emotions, Green Bay continues to get the best out of its players by making off-field issues irrelevant factors .
The NFL is no stranger to controversies involving domestic violence, criminal issues and the now-typical waiver of a new contract. As a testament to their organization, values and execution, the Packers had a much smoother experience. The resolution of Doubs’ mysterious absence is just the latest example.
