Aaron Rodgers meets with Packers' WRs a day after critique
It appears Aaron Rodgers is working to smooth things over with the Green Bay Packers' young wide receivers after calling them out on Tuesday.
The receivers were told to meet with Rodgers, along with the Packers' other quarterbacks and top offensive coaches Wednesday morning prior to their second joint practice with the New Orleans Saints.
"Aaron spoke to us about what he likes or what not just based on concepts or what he sees," fourth-round rookie receiver Romeo Doubs told reporters following Wednesday's practice.
On Tuesday, the all-world quarterback expressed serious concern about the team's offense just a few weeks shy of the season opener.
"The young guys, especially young receivers, we've got to be way more consistent," Rodgers said. "A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. We've got to get better in that area."
Instead of dishing concern, on Wednesday Rodgers handed out pointers to the Packers' young receivers.
"It was just really giving us advice," seventh-round rookie receiver Samori Toure said. "Basically, letting us know that the Green Bay receiving corps has always been held to a super-high standard. All the legends who have been through here.
"It's just about us carrying on that standard and stepping up."
While the Packers' young receivers appeared to take Rodgers' criticism well, Colin Cowherd said he liked the approach the quarterback took as well. Cowherd cited a conversation he had with a former NFL scout as to why Rodgers' callout could be effective.
"He said that he liked Rodgers calling out the receivers — and it's a good point — because ‘We’ve knocked on Aaron Rodgers for years being passive-aggressive, but leadership is saying things that are uncomfortable,'" Cowherd said. "I kind of like that Aaron Rodgers. Psychedelic T Aaron Rodgers I'm not sold on. Kind of fuzzy on the vax — don't love it. I think I like this Aaron."
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Colin Cowherd liked Aaron Rodgers' recent comments about the Packers' young receivers.
Rodgers isn't working with a wealth of high-end talented veterans in the receiving corps. Allen Lazard is Green Bay's most tenured starting wideout, playing the last four seasons there. He is coming off a 40-catch season. Randall Cobb, now a 31-year-old reserve, is in his second stint with the franchise and coming off a 28-catch campaign. Tight end Robert Tonyan, who tore his ACL midway through last season, was activated off the PUP list this week. The only other notable returning receiver is Amari Rodgers, whom the Packers traded up to select with the No. 85 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He had just four receptions in his rookie season.
The Packers are also banking on contributions from veteran Sammy Watkins, who's playing for his third team in as many years, along with rookies Christian Watson, Doubs and Toure.
Rodgers reasonably has high expectations entering the 2022 season. He's coming off back-to-back MVP seasons, in which Green Bay had the best record in the NFC both years. However, the Packers failed to make it to the Super Bowl in each season, losing in the NFC Championship Game in 2020 and falling to the 49ers in the Divisional Round last year.