Rodgers on Receivers: ‘I Like Production Over Potential’

Aaron Rodgers likes his projected top trio at receiver and preached “reasonable expectations” for the rookies.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the addition of three draft picks and a motivated Sammy Watkins, the Green Bay Packers’ revamped receiver corps has potential.

Potential is great. That latest and greatest miracle diet had potential, too, until you succumbed to the smell of fried cheese curds.

Aaron Rodgers’ diet may or may not allow for cheese curds, but he surely understands the analogy.

“I like production over potential,” Rodgers said this week. “We have some production. We have a lot of potential.”

Davante Adams built a Hall of Fame resume the last several seasons. Last season, he caught 123 passes for 1,553 yards and delivered 83 first downs. Every other receiver on Green Bay’s roster – returning players Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Juwann Winfree, Amari Rodgers and Malik Taylor plus Watkins, who spent last season in Baltimore, combined for 109 receptions for 1,399 yards and 73 first downs.

Simply put, Adams was dominant. His tremendous skill-set, combined with his unique connection with Rodgers built over several years and countless reps and conversations, made him practically unstoppable at times.

Rodgers said “it’s probably not an exaggeration” to say 80 percent of the passing plays were designed to get the ball to Adams. Potential only being potential at the moment, it’s impossible to argue that the Packers are a better team without him.

“I love Davante, so I would say I was obviously disappointed, but I’m not going to stand in his way as he pursues the next step in his career,” Rodgers said. “Not going to change our friendship, and still talk to him a bunch. I love Davante and I wish him – like, truly wish him well. You know sometimes you wish people well and you’re like, ‘Eh.’ But I truly wish Davante well. I love him like a brother and I appreciate everything we accomplished together. Disappointed we couldn’t finish together but zero, absolutely zero, animosity. Nothing but love for him.”

The relative success of rookie receivers in recent years, along with the pedigree of Rodgers and the success of coach Matt LaFleur, has created the expectation that the passing game will keep chugging along. And maybe it will. Last season, six rookies topped 45 receptions and six rookies had more than 500 receiving yards. That’s actually a bit less than the three-year averages of 7.3 with 45-plus catches and 8.3 with 500-plus yards.

So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Packers will get instant impact. Second-round pick Christian Watson has a combination of size and speed that’s almost incomparable. Fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs is off to a strong start, and seventh-round choice Samori Toure had a tremendous final day of minicamp.

“We need to temper expectations and heighten the accountability. I think that’s the most important thing for those guys,” Rodgers said of the rookies. “There’s guys who’ve done some things in the league and there’s guys that haven’t, so reasonable expectations for those guys and then high expectations and accountability for the entire room.”

Rodgers has entered every season with at least one established standout receiver. That won’t be the case this year. Really, the only receivers with any pedigree alongside Rodgers are Lazard and Cobb.

Lazard, who has not signed his restricted free agent tender so wasn’t present for any of the offseason work, finished last season with a bang. In his first 10 games, he caught 19 passes, scored three touchdowns and had zero games of more than 60 yards. In his last five games, he caught 21 passes, scored five touchdowns and topped 70 yards three times. League-wide, only Adams had more receiving touchdowns among receivers during that final span.

“He’s been our dirty work guy for most of his career here. Now he’s getting an opportunity to be a No. 1 receiver,” Rodgers said. “I’m not worried about him at all stepping into that role. I’ve talked to him a lot. I know how he takes care of his body and I know he’ll be ready when he’s here.”

With LaFleur saying Watkins is “going to be a big part of our offense,” the Packers figure to go with the veteran trio of Lazard, Cobb and Watkins as the primary options. Beyond that, Rodgers preached “reasonable expectations” for the rookies as they battle Amari Rodgers, Winfree and Taylor for snaps.

“We have three solid right there,” Rodgers said, “and then there’s a lot of competition behind those guys.”

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Year-By-Year Receiver Corps for Aaron Rodgers

Throughout his career, Aaron Rodgers has had at least one established star on his receiver corps. That will not be the case in 2022 following the trade of Davante Adams. Here is a look at the top returning receivers for each of Rodgers' seasons as the starter.

2008

Greg Jennings (25 years old): 80 receptions, 1,292 yards, 9 TDs. A second-round pick in 2006, this was Jennings’ third season in the NFL. After catching 53 passes for 920 yards and 12 touchdowns in 13 games in 2007, he was on his way to becoming a star at this point in his career.

Donald Driver (33); 74 receptions, 1,012 yards, 5 TDs. A three-time Pro Bowler, this was Driver’s 10th season in the NFL and his fifth consecutive season of 1,000-plus yards.

James Jones (24): 20 receptions, 274 yards, 1 TD. A third-round pick in 2007, this was Jones’ second season. Jones was a key player as a rookie with 47 receptions for 676 yards and two touchdowns.

Of note: The Packers used a second-round pick on Jordy Nelson, and he contributed 33 receptions for 366 yards and two scores.

2009

Driver (34): 70 receptions, 1,061 yards, 6 TDs.

Jennings (26): 68 receptions, 1,113 yards, 4 TDs.

TE Jermichael Finley (22): 55 receptions, 676 yards, 5 TDs.

Jones (25): 32 receptions, 440 yards, 5 TDs.

Nelson (24): 22 receptions, 320 yards, 2 TDs.

Of note: This was Driver’s sixth consecutive season topping 1,000 yards. Driver and Jennings formed one of only four receiver duos to each top 1,000. Meanwhile, Finley, a third-round pick in 2008, took a big step forward after catching only six passes as a rookie.

2010

Jennings (27): 76 receptions, 1,265 yards, 12 TDs.

Driver (35): 51 receptions, 565 yards, 4 TDs.

Jones (26): 50 receptions, 679 yards, 5 TDs.

Nelson (25): 45 receptions, 582 yards, 2 TDs.

Of note: Jennings officially became the clear-cut No. 1 receiver and earned his first Pro Bowl with his third consecutive season of 1,100-plus yards. It was a solid third season for Nelson, but it was the postseason where he took the league by storm and set the stage for the rest of his career. He caught eight passes at Atlanta and then had a monster Super Bowl with nine catches for 140 yards and one touchdown.

2011

Nelson (26): 68 receptions, 1,263 yards, 15 TDs.

Jennings (28): 67 receptions, 949 yards, 9 TDs.

Finley (24): 55 receptions, 767 yards, 8 TDs.

Jones (27): 38 receptions, 635 yards, 7 TDs.

Driver (36): 37 receptions, 445 yards, 6 TDs.

Of note: The Packers scored what was at the time the second-most points in NFL history. This star-studded group of pass catchers had a huge hand in the success. This would be the first of Nelson’s four seasons of 1,200-plus receiving yards. He ranked third in the NFL in touchdowns and fifth with 18.6 yards per catch. Jennings was picked for his second Pro Bowl, Finley returned from a knee injury to have a big season, and Jones scored seven times without starting a single game. Five players caught at least six touchdown passes. Randall Cobb, a second-round pick, chipped in 25 catches. This offense was so powerful that he ranked only seventh in receptions.

2012

Cobb (22): 80 receptions, 954 yards, 8 TDs.

Jones (28): 64 receptions, 784 yards, 14 TDs.

Finley (25): 61 receptions, 667 yards, 2 TDs.

Nelson (27): 49 receptions, 745 yards, 7 TDs.

Jennings (29): 36 receptions, 366 yards, 4 TDs.

Of note: With injuries limiting Nelson to 12 games and Jennings to eight, it was Cobb, Jones and Finley to the rescue. After the season, Jennings signed with the Vikings.

2013

Nelson (28): 85 receptions, 1,314 yards, 8 TDs.

Jones (29): 59 receptions, 817 yards, 3 TDs.

Of note: This was one of Rodgers’ more challenging seasons. With Jennings playing for the Vikings and injuries limiting Cobb and Finley to six games apiece, Rodgers was no longer surrounded by a star-studded cast. Jarrett Boykin, a former undrafted free agent, picked up the slack with 49 catches for 681 yards and three scores.

2014

Nelson (29): 98 receptions, 1,519 yards, 13 TDs.

Cobb (24): 91 receptions, 1,287 yards, 12 TDs.

Of note: This would be Nelson’s one and only Pro Bowl season. He ranked fourth in the league in yards, seventh in yards and second in touchdowns. This also would be Cobb’s one and only Pro Bowl season. It also marked his only season of more than 80 receptions, 1,000 yards and double-digits touchdowns.

With Nelson and Cobb combining for 25 of Rodgers’ 38 touchdowns, the passing game was boosted by running back Eddie Lacy (42 catches), tight ends Andrew Quarless and Richard Rodgers (combined 49 receptions) and a second-round rookie named Davante Adams. As the No. 3 receiver, Adams caught 38 passes for 446 yards and three scores. It was a quiet rookie season with two hugely noteworthy exceptions. Adams had 121 yards in a showdown vs. New England and 117 yards in a playoff win vs. Dallas.

2015

Cobb (25): 79 receptions, 829 yards, 6 TDS.

R. Rodgers (23): 58 receptions, 510 yards, 8 TDs.

Adams (23): 50 receptions, 483 yards, 1 TD.

Jones (31): 50 receptions, 890 yards, 8 TDs.

Of note: You can’t win a Super Bowl in the preseason. But you can lose one. In a preseason game at Pittsburgh, Nelson suffered a torn ACL and missed the rest of the season. Between the season-long absence of Nelson and an ankle injury that ruined Adams’ season, the Packers got to the playoffs but weren’t a threat. In the divisional-round loss to Arizona, Rodgers was left with Jones, Jeff Janis and Jared Abbrederis as his receivers after a mic’d-up Cobb was injured early in the game.

2016

Nelson (31): 97 receptions, 1,257 yards, 14 TDs.

Adams (24): 76 receptions, 997 yards, 12 TDs.

Cobb (26): 60 receptions, 610 yards, 4 TDs.

TE Jared Cook (29): 30 receptions, 377 yards, 1 TD.

Of note: Nelson returned from his knee injury in a big way and Adams was one of the NFL’s breakout stars. However, with Nelson nursing broken ribs and Adams hobbled by a knee injury, they didn’t stand a chance in the NFC title game at Atlanta.

2017

Adams (25): 74 receptions, 885 yards, 10 TDs.

Cobb: 66 receptions, 653 yards, 4 TDs.

Nelson: 53 receptions, 482 yards, 6 TDs.

Of note: After three seasons in a complementary role, the baton was passed to Adams as the No. 1 receiver. With Rodgers missing half the season with a broken collarbone, Nelson and Cobb both averaged less than 10 yards per catch. High-profile free-agent tight end Martellus Bennett was released at midseason, apparently with a shoulder injury, though a few teammates thought he quit because Rodgers was out.

2018

Adams: 111 receptions, 1,386 yards, 13 TDs.

TE Jimmy Graham: 55 receptions, 636 yards, 2 TDs.

Of note: Adams earned his first Pro Bowl accolades after finishing sixth in receptions, seventh in yards and second in touchdowns. In a transaction involving two past-their-prime players, the Packers released Nelson to sign Graham, who was merely OK. Cobb played in only nine games due to injuries and tied for third with 38 receptions. Rookies Marquez Valdes-Scantling (38 catches) and Equanimeous St. Brown (21 catches) were forced into duty.

2019

Adams: 83 receptions, 997 yards, 5 TDs.

Graham: 38 receptions, 447 yards, 3 TDs.

Of note: The Packers got to the NFC Championship Game in Year 1 under Matt LaFleur but it wasn’t because of the passing offense. Aaron Jones (49 receptions) and Jamaal Williams (39) finished second and third on the team in receptions. Graham was fourth and former undrafted free agent receivers Allen Lazard (35) and Geronimo Allison (34) were fifth and sixth.

2020

Adams: 115 receptions, 1,374 yards, 18 TDs

Valdes-Scantling: 33 receptions, 690 yards, 6 TDs (league-high 20.9 yards per catch).

Lazard: 33 receptions, 461 yards, 3 TDs.

Of note: Tight end Robert Tonyan was one of the NFL’s huge surprises with 52 receptions for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. He tied Travis Kelce for No. 1 among tight ends in touchdowns and was No. 1 outright in catch percentage and drops (zero). Adams had 63 more catches than Tonyan and 684 more yards than MVS, the team’s second-ranked players in those departments.

2021

Adams: 123 receptions, 1,553 yards, 11 TDs.

Jones: 52 receptions, 391 yards, 6 TDs.

Lazard: 40 receptions, 513 yards, 8 TDS.

Of note: Talk about a one-man receiver corps. Adams had 123 receptions; the next three players (Jones, Lazard and running back AJ Dillon) combined for 126. Adams had 1,553 receiving yards; the next three players (Lazard, Valdes-Scantling and Jones) combined for 1,334. It didn’t help that Tonyan missed nine games, Valdes-Scantling missed six and Cobb missed five.

2022 (current roster)

Cobb: 591 receptions, 7,168 yards, 52 TDs in 11 seasons but 64 receptions, 816 yards, 8 TDs the past two years.

Lazard: 108 receptions, 1,441 yards, 14 TDs the past three seasons.

Malik Taylor: 7 receptions, 80 yards, 1 TD in two seasons.

Juwann Winfree: 8 receptions, 58 yards, 0 TDs in three seasons. That came last season, when he also had two fumbles and one drop.

Amari Rodgers: 4 receptions, 45 yards, 0 TDs in one season.

Of note: Lazard has two 100-yard games (one in 2019, one in 2020) and Cobb hasn’t had any since 2019.

In 2011, when Rodgers was surrounded by the most ridiculous group of pass targets of his career, he had three second-round picks (Jennings, Nelson and Cobb), two third-round picks (Jones and Finley) and a three-time Pro Bowler (Driver) to catch passes. Now, he has a past-his-prime former second-rounder (Cobb), an unproven third-rounder (Amari Rodgers) and a couple undrafted free agents.

Because of Rodgers and Adams, the Packers have not used a lot of resources on the receiver position. How Gutekunst restocks that group over the next six weeks might determine more than the Packers' fate in 2022. It could determine whether the Packers win another championship with Rodgers.