The Packers need to find a replacement for Romeo Doubs, who was crucial on third and fourth downs last season. Doubs recorded significant targets and first downs, leaving a gap for the 2025 season.
Key points
Romeo Doubs led the Packers in targets, receptions, and yards.
Doubs was targeted 34 times on third and fourth downs.
He recorded 18 first downs and four touchdowns in those situations.
Christian Watson showed potential to fill Doubs' role.
The Packers need someone to step up in clutch situations.
Green Bay Packers
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 10: Romeo Doubs #87 of the Green Bay Packers completes a catch and scores a touchdown during an NFL wild card playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 10: Romeo Doubs #87 of the Green Bay Packers completes a catch and scores a touchdown during an NFL wild card playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on January 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Romeo Doubsā departure isnāt really about his volume numbers.
Sure, he led the Packers in targets, receptions, and yards, but all of those numbers come with caveats. He was more than 100 yards behind Tucker Kraft when Kraft was lost for the season, and Doubsā target share cratered pretty much the instant Christian Watson made his debut. As far as volume numbers are concerned, Doubsā position at the top is more of a technicality than a situation where the Packers are going to have to fill a big void. This isnāt going to be like the post-2021 departure of Davante Adams.
But the Packers will have some work to do to account for Doubsā absence, especially in the clutch situations of third and fourth downs.
My APC colleague Dusty Evely likes to refer to a certain kind of receiver as a ābucket getter.ā These are the guys you turn to when youāve absolutely gotta have it. Think of them as Max McGeeās proverbial āwhiskey drinkers,ā the players who find a way to get it done when the chips are down.
By and large, Doubs was that player for the Packers last year. In 18 games (including playoffs), Doubs was targeted 34 times on third and fourth down. Christian Watson was a distant second with 23 targets on those downs.
And Doubs was productive, too. Throwing his way resulted in 18 first downs and four touchdowns. He got buckets, in short.
Thatās a significant role to fill. Someone has to be the moneymaker when your back is against the wall, and last season it was Doubs.
Who will it be in 2025? Thereās reason for hope. Though he couldnāt match Doubsā volume on a season-long basis due to his ACL recovery, Christian Watson was right there with him in games where they both were on the field. From Week 8 through the end of the season, Doubs was targeted 25 times on third and fourth downs, while Watson received 23 targets. Whatās more, Watson turned his targets into big yardage; though Doubs recorded one more catch (15 to Watsonās 14), Watson piled up 262 yards to Doubsā 190, an average of 18.7 yards per catch just on third and fourth down.
But in the playoffs, Doubs showed how important he was ā and what kind of shoes his former teammates will have to fill. On the money downs in the Packersā lone playoff game of 2025, Doubs recorded five catches on seven targets, as many catches as every other player on the Packers combined. Itās one thing to match Doubs over the course of the season, but the playoff disparity shows pretty clearly, I think, the gap in how viewed his receivers.
Thereās a significant opportunity here. Someone has to step up into that role, and they should have plenty of chances to do it. For all that Doubs lacked as a receiver in size or explosiveness, he was slippery and had a good sense of how to work himself open on important downs. The next player who can match those skills will carve out a nice role for himself in a hurry.
Q&A
Who will replace Romeo Doubs for the Packers in 2025?
The Packers are looking for a player to step into Doubs' role, particularly on crucial third and fourth downs.
What were Romeo Doubs' stats on money downs last season?
Doubs was targeted 34 times on third and fourth downs, resulting in 18 first downs and four touchdowns.
How did Christian Watson perform compared to Doubs in clutch situations?
In the games they both played, Watson was targeted 23 times on money downs, gaining 262 yards compared to Doubs' 190 yards.
Why is Doubs' absence significant for the Packers?
Doubs was a key player in clutch situations, and his departure leaves a notable gap in the team's ability to convert on critical downs.
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