Amari Rodgers stands to gain the most in the Green Bay Packers receiving room after the Davante Adams trade.
With Davante Adams now catching passes from college teammate Derek Carr on the Las Vegas Raiders, look for second-year pro Amari Rodgers to be a leader in the Green Bay Packers‘ receiving corps.
“The room is wide open,” said Rodgers to Alberto Camargo of the Knoxville-News Sentinel. “I’m showing that I can play any position and that I know the playbook and (coaches) can trust me, no matter what situation.”
Rodgers may have played at college football power Clemson, as well as having an NFL pedigree in former Vols starting quarterback Tee Martin. However, Rodgers had precisely four catches for 45 yards and zero trips to pay dirt in his rookie season with the Packers. Entering year two, Rodgers is taking a page or two out of his two-time reigning NFL MVP teammate Aaron Rodgers’ playbook.
“I respect him so much just because of how focused he is all the time,” said Rodgers of Rodgers. “You can just tell by watching him on TV just how locked in he is all the time, how calm and collected he is. That’s how I try to carry myself on the field.”
“(Aaron) always says the game is 90 percent mental, 10 percent physical. If you’re mentally right, that’s where your game takes that next step. I’ve started taking my mental game seriously with meditation and mental training.”
Simply put, this has to be a big year for the second-year pro out of Clemson. His quarterback is not getting any younger, as the Packers have arguably the weakest receiving corps in the NFC. Green Bay should have one of its best defenses in years, as well as a strong running game. However, the clock is ticking on getting back to the Super Bowl before their star quarterback does call it a career.
If Rodgers does not have a breakout season, Green Bay may bow out in early January once again.
Green Bay Packers: Amari Rodgers could benefit from the Davante Adams trade
What this all really comes down to is one thing and one thing only: Does Rodgers trust Rodgers? If we can get some more of that Rodgers-to-Rodgers connection, then yes, the second-year wide receiver stands a real chance at benefiting from the high-profile Adams trade with the Silver and Black. Should he have another tough season in the league, he may have missed his opportunity…
Although the Packers have not drafted a first-round wide receiver since Javon Walker over a generation ago, they still have done well finding excellent skill-position players in days two and three. One such player who is expected to be a big-time contributor for them right away is second-round pick Christian Watson out of North Dakota State, the No. 34 overall pick in 2022.
Rodgers’ rapport with Adams was great while it lasted, but he has to find somebody else to rifle the pigskin to. That newfound target could be the former Clemson standout. It could also be the rookie star coming out of the FCS level. Either way, we will now by the end of the season if Rodgers-to-Rodgers is going to be a thing or not. For the Packers’ sake, let’s all hope that it is.
The stars maybe aligning for Rodgers, but he has to take advantage of the situation at hand.