As Green Bay wide receiver Romeo Doubs returned to practice after a one-game suspension given by the Packers, his teammates showed confidence that this issue won’t create any lasting distractions.
Doubs was suspended for Sunday’s 24-19 win against the Los Angeles Rams for conduct harmful to the team after he missed practice on Thursday and Friday.
Though Doubs wasn’t in the locker room when it was open to the media on Wednesday, his teammates answered questions about his suspension and return.
“It happened, it’s in the past, and I think everyone’s excited to have him back,” quarterback Jordan Love said. “I think we just move forward with it and learn and grow from the situation.”
Doubs was the top receiver for Green Bay during their playoff run last season, with 10 catches for 234 yards and one touchdown in two postseason games.
After catching 59 passes for 674 yards and eight touchdowns last year, Doubs has recorded 12 receptions for 169 yards and no touchdowns this season.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur stressed the importance of communication without going into details about Doubs’ situation.
“If there’s an issue, you’ve got to communicate so we can work it out together,” LaFleur said. “And unfortunately, there’s a level, there’s a standard that you have to live by, and if you don’t, there are consequences.
I made that very clear to our team; there’s a level of professionalism. But each moment is a learning experience, and like I mentioned last week, it was a one-off, and we’re moving forward.”
The Packers faced a similar situation last year and managed to work through it.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander was suspended for a crucial game against Minnesota last year after he named himself captain and nearly messed up the pregame coin toss before a win at Carolina. The Packers won against the Vikings without Alexander, and he returned the next week as they beat the Chicago Bears to secure a playoff spot.
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson was asked if Doubs would need to earn back his respect.
“Everyone’s going to have their own opinions on the situation, but at the end of the day, I think two days isn’t going to ruin the three years of work and commitment he’s put in for us,” Watson said.
“It’ll definitely feel a bit strange at first because it was a pretty significant situation for him, but he’s Rome to us. I think it’ll pass quickly, and we’ll be back to how we were.”
