Nov 14, 2021; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Benson Mayowa (10) drags down Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara (81) in the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports — Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Josiah Deguara: 'Opportunity for Guys' With Davante Adams Gone

The third-year tight end is just now experiencing a normal offseason.

Author:
Russ Heltman
Updated:
Jul 6, 2022 1:53 PM EDT

CINCINNATI — Former Bearcats star tight end Josiah Deguara is ready to take on a larger role with the Green Bay Packers in 2022. Deguara recently spoke about his journey in the league since 2020 and what the exit of Davante Adams means for him in the team's offense.

"To have my first real offseason, I've felt great," Deguara said during OTAs last month. "I've been able to work on the things I want to work on. It's not an elephant in the room, but Davante's gone. All the balls that he got were much deserved, so there's opportunity for guys to step up, and I'm going to try to be one of those guys."

Deguara had to go through a crazy offseason in 2020 due to the pandemic and then missed 12 games with a major injury. After spending the 2021 offseason rehabbing, the tight end posted 25 catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns across 16 games this past season.

"As the season progressed last year, it seemed like he was playing faster," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "Definitely knew what to do. Anytime you're coming off a pretty significant injury like that, it takes some time. We were really happy with him at the end of the year and hopefully, he can build upon that. That play he had against Detroit was great. I think that really showed what he's capable of doing."

It's unlikely he unseats Robert Tonyan from the TE1 spot, but Deguara should have a ton of chances to build rapport with Aaron Rodgers. Adams amassed 318 targets in Deguara's first two seasons. Bearcats fans can expect a portion of those to go to a healthy Deguara in 2022.

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