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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterOct 5, 2024, 02:31 PM ET
- Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers have suspended wide receiver Romeo Doubs for one game for conduct detrimental to the team. The Packers made the announcement shortly before they departed for Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Rams.
The suspension came after Doubs missed two days of practice and meetings. The team initially explained his absence as for personal reasons, but Sports Illustrated reported that Doubs was upset with his opportunities in the passing game.
Neither Doubs nor his agent returned messages, but sources said his absence was not injury related or because of a family matter.
“Unfortunately, we had to make the difficult decision to suspend Romeo for this week’s game,” Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a statement Saturday. “His decisions and actions during the week negatively impacted the team and required us to take this action. While we are certainly disappointed, we are confident that we will be able to move forward in a positive manner. Romeo is a valuable member of our team and we look forward to welcoming him back next week.”
One day before the suspension, Doubs was listed as doubtful on the game status report and coach Matt LaFleur described the wide receiver’s status as “day to day.”
Doubs was a participant in Wednesday’s practice, the first of the week in preparation for the Rams, but then did not report to the team facility on Thursday. He also was not present Friday when reporters were allowed to watch practice. It was unclear if he came to the team facility Saturday before the team was to fly to California.
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The Packers are expected to be without wide receiver Christian Watson on Sunday because of the sprained left ankle he sustained in last Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Watson was listed as doubtful on Friday.
Doubs ranks second on the team with 20 catches for 169 yards but has yet to score a touchdown in four games this season. The Packers played two of those games without starting quarterback Jordan Love (knee injury) and went with run-heavy game plans in both contests. Backup quarterback Malik Willis attempted only 33 passes in the two games, but the Packers (2-2) won both.
In Love’s return Sunday, the Packers threw the ball 54 times and eight of those targets went to Doubs, who caught four passes for 39 yards. Only one wide receiver (Dontayvion Wicks with 13 targets) was thrown to more than Doubs.
One of the biggest storylines of this past offseason was whether the Packers had a true No. 1 receiver.
“It’s a lot of talent in our room,” Doubs said during the first week of training camp in late July. “I think it’s selfish on my end to have goals because if I come up short, I’m not thinking about the team, I’m thinking about myself.”
Last season, Doubs was the Packers’ most-targeted receiver (96) and finished second to Jayden Reed with 59 catches for 674 yards. He tied Reed for the team lead with eight touchdowns while playing in all 17 games. As a rookie in 2022, Doubs caught 42 passes for 425 yards and three touchdowns while playing in 13 of the 17 games.
Doubs became the second Packers player suspended in the past year. Cornerback Jaire Alexander served a one-game suspension without pay in December for conduct detrimental to the team. Alexander returned the next week and remains a key member of the defense.
It will cost Doubs $54,722 — or 1/18th of his base salary. Players are paid for the 17 regular-season games plus the bye week.
The Packers did not add a receiver to the roster for Sunday’s game but signed cornerback Robert Rochell to the active roster from the practice squad and elevated fullback Andrew Beck from the practice squad for game day.
