Romeo Doubs suspension: Adam Schefter reveals next steps, timeline for Packers WR’s return

The Green Bay Packers got back over .500 with a road win over the Los Angeles Rams this past weekend, and they did so without wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who served a one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter joined “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday and provided insight on Doubs’ situation.

“I think this is a really interesting situation for a few reasons,” Schefter said. “He was there Wednesday and then didn’t show up to work Thursday or Friday. And the team goes out to L.A. on Saturday when they announce his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team.

“… He wasn’t there and didn’t show up, and they took the step to suspend him. Now they said, ‘We look forward to welcoming him back this week,’ and he’ll be a part of the rotation. And look, they were missing [Christian] Watson, so they certainly needed Doubs. Didn’t have him yesterday. They were able to come through and win.”

Schefter added: “I’m not saying this is the reason there, but I do think, in speaking to some people this weekend, here’s what came up. It’s interesting, in today’s day and age in the world where we live in, there’s so much discussion about targets and how many targets each receiver gets and fancy football production with fans sounding off. And let’s also remember how much money is going to wide receivers, so that when there are certain wide receivers that don’t get their targets, they know that that could be costing them money. And everybody reacts differently. And obviously Romeo Doubs, for whatever reason, decided to stay away for a couple of days. I don’t know that he was particularly thrilled with the number of passes that went his way.”

Through five games, the most recent of which Doubs didn’t play in, he’s fourth on the team with 20 targets. Fellow wide receivers Dontayvion Wicks (29) and Jayden Reed (28), as well as tight end Tucker Kraft (22), are ahead of Doubs in that department.

Doubs, though, is third among all Packers players this season with 12 catches for 169 yards. He hasn’t found the end zone, but it’s worth noting that starting quarterback Jordan Love missed two games with a sprained MCL, and backup Malik Willis played in Love’s absence.

Doubs, a former fourth-round pick out of Nevada, led Green Bay with 96 targets last year. He caught 59 passes (second on the team) for 674 yards (second) and eight touchdowns (tied for first).

“When you’re talking about targets, you’re talking about money,” Schefter said. “So I just think that’s part of the world we’re living in right now where that’s an issue with a few more players than we probably realize. I’m just saying that may have been an issue.

“Certainly people brought that to my attention over the weekend, and they do think that he’ll be back this week, and hopefully he’s more content and happy with the targets he does get.”

This week, the Packers host the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals, who are coming off an upset and comeback road win over the San Francisco 49ers.