The Green Bay Packers will face the Arizona Cardinals in their Week Six matchup at Lambeau Field on Sunday. At 3-2, the Packers are looking to win their second consecutive game after defeating the Los Angeles Rams on the road this past Sunday. It was the first time Green Bay defeated the Rams in Los Angeles since 1966.
Unlike their win against the Rams, the Packers will play the Cardinals with at least one of their starting wide receivers. Both Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs did not play in Los Angeles. Watson was out with an ankle injury while Doubs had been suspended by the Packers for conduct detrimental to the team.
After being a full participant for the Packers’ practice on Wednesday of last week, Doubs did not show up on Thursday or Friday. At the time, head coach Matt LaFleur said it was for personal reasons.
Late last week, though, a report by Sports Illustrated‘s Bill Huber stated that Doubs skipped practice because he was unhappy with his role on the offense. This report was confusing to many fans because Doubs has always come across as a team-first player.
For their part, the Packers neither confirmed nor denied the report. However, they did suspend Doubs for the game against the Rams in his hometown of Los Angeles.
While the team got the win, fans could not shake the feeling that there was something they did not know regarding the Doubs situation. And they were right.
On Friday, the third-year wide receiver addressed the media for the first time since his suspension.
According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Doubs said, “I had some things going on mentally.” He later told reporters that his mental health is fine.
“I had to make sure that I got the family together again. I’d say there was some things going on off the field, so as far as just the organization and just the staff, players, there’s nothing going on within that area, so I just wanna make myself clear there.”
In other words, Huber’s sources that told him that Doubs was unhappy with his role on the team provided him with inaccurate information.
“It’s a great offense here. Got some ball players in our room. It’s much bigger than just obviously me individually finding my role. In this league, it’s just winning football games.”
So what exactly was the reason for his absence? Doubs did not want to reveal that answer, as is his right. It was personal. Those that need to know already do.
“It’s not as big as what they think it is. I know narratives are always created. Just hearing it from me, it wasn’t that big of a deal. There’s just some things I have going on off the field. I just had to make sure that I had that under control.”
The focus now is Sunday and the Cardinals. Doubs is moving on from the situation, as are the Packers.
Fans should too.
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The Green Bay Packers will face the Arizona Cardinals in their Week Six matchup at Lambeau Field on Sunday. At 3-2, the Packers are looking to win their second consecutive game after defeating the Los Angeles Rams on the road this past Sunday. It was the first time ...
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