Why Letting Romeo Doubs Walk in Free Agency Could Be the Right Call for the Packers
Romeo Doubs gave the Packers everything he had in 2025. He led the team in targets (88), receptions (55), receiving yards (724), and first downs (41).
He even delivered a standout performance in the Wild Card Round against the Bears, racking up 124 yards and a touchdown in a game that turned heads across the league. But as impressive as that stretch was, Green Bay now faces a tough decision - and all signs point toward moving on.
This isn’t about Doubs underperforming. It’s about the bigger picture.
When the Packers used a first-round pick on Matthew Golden in the 2025 NFL Draft, it signaled a shift in the wide receiver room. Golden joined an already crowded group that includes Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Savion Williams, and Dontayvion Wicks - all young, talented, and under contract. With that kind of depth, it’s hard to justify committing major money to Doubs, especially when Spotrac projects his next deal to exceed $12 million per year.
That’s a hefty price tag for a team that needs to be smart with its cap space. Watson, for example, is only a couple years away from free agency, and despite missing six games in 2025, he still finished just 113 yards shy of Doubs with 611 receiving yards and six touchdowns. If Watson continues to trend upward, Green Bay will need flexibility to pay him - or, if his development stalls, the resources to go find a true WR1 elsewhere.
And it’s not just Watson. Reed and Wicks will both be due for new contracts after the upcoming season. The Packers have to think long-term, and locking in Doubs at a top-market rate would tighten the financial screws in a way that doesn’t make sense for a team that’s building around a young core.
Let’s also be real: Doubs has been solid, but not consistently dominant. His playoff showing boosted his stock, no question, but that kind of late-season surge can sometimes lead to buyer’s remorse.
We’ve seen it before - players who parlay postseason flashes into big paydays, only to fall short of expectations. That’s a risk Green Bay can’t afford to take right now.
Letting Doubs walk also opens the door for Golden to step into a bigger role in Year 2. The Packers didn’t draft him in the first round to sit behind a logjam.
With Doubs potentially out of the picture, Golden gets a clearer runway to develop chemistry with the quarterback and carve out his place in the offense. He’ll still have to compete with Watson and Reed for targets, but the opportunity is there for him to emerge.
This is one of those situations where a parting of ways might actually benefit both sides. Doubs will get the chance to prove himself as a WR1 in a less crowded offense, and the Packers can continue building a balanced, cost-effective receiving corps around their young talent.
It’s never easy to let go of a productive player, especially one who’s made big plays in big moments. But in today’s NFL, smart roster management is about knowing when to invest - and when to move on. For Green Bay, the time to move on from Romeo Doubs might be now.