Wide receivers Jayden Reed and Christian Watson missed substantial stretches due to injury, and in Week 9, tight end Tucker Kraft, who was putting together a fantastic year, tore his ACL and was lost for the rest of the season. Green Bay finished 9-7-1 and suffered an extremely painful loss in the wild-card round of the playoffs to the hated Chicago Bears after forging a 21-3 second-quarter lead.
Now, Green Bay could lose Romeo Doubs, one of their most important skill players, in free agency just a few weeks from now. The wide receiver was named by Pro Football Focus as an underrated free agent prospect, and he will surely have plenty of teams vying for his services.
“Doubs saved his best for last, posting a career-high 75.3 PFF receiving grade and 724 receiving yards in his fourth season with the Packers,” wrote Zoltán Buday. “Over the past four years, Doubs often emerged as the team’s top receiving option. His 335 targets over that span are more than 100 more than second place.
“Similarly, Doubs led the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns since 2022. Among 78 wide receivers who were on the field for at least 1,200 snaps over the past four seasons, his 76.5 PFF receiving grade ranks 37th.
“He already proved himself as a potential top target, but he could really flourish in a passing game with a clear No. 1 while he shines as the No. 2.”
Doubs is one of several Packers wide receivers who have seemed to possess plenty of promise over the last couple of years. The 25-year-old set a career high with 724 receiving yards and 13.2 yards per reception in 2025, and he made just over $3.5 million for the season.
According to spotrac.com, his market value is estimated to be roughly $12 million a season. The Packers are currently over the salary cap by more than $4 million, and they will owe Watson nearly $7 million next season.
Perhaps their biggest weakness right now is a truly elite wide receiver who can carry them in big games and in the playoffs while consistently winning matchups against opposing defensive backs. Perhaps Watson can continue to head on a trajectory toward becoming that type of player, but Green Bay will have to figure out a way to retain him on a fair contract, and that won’t be easy.
After being hyped up as new contenders prior to the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the Packers are now dealing with the reality of how hard it is to rebuild or retool in the NFL. Given their storied history, nothing short of a Super Bowl championship can be considered a true success for them and their devoted fans.
