For the small crowd still under the impression that second-year wide receiver Amari Rodgers would be on the chopping block, the preseason finale seemingly put that to rest. Matt LaFleur had Rodgers wear many hats against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, and this Swiss Army knife-type role will greatly benefit the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers had four catches for 39 yards against the Chiefs. It doesn’t jump off the page. In fact, it pales in comparison to rookie seventh-round pick Samori Toure’s six catches and 83 yards. However, Rodgers was set up to succeed in other ways.
On two occasions, Rodgers took handoffs from quarterback Jordan Love out of the shotgun. In another instance, Rodgers was the beneficiary of a handoff on a jet sweep towards the far sideline. Add in those four receptions, and Rodgers had his mitts on the ball seven times on offense against Kansas City. More importantly, he showed the type of versatility that the Packers’ brass salivates over.
For Rodgers, lining up at running back wasn’t a foreign concept.
“I played running back my whole life, until my junior year of high school. It’s in my background. Once I get in the backfield, it kind of threw me back to high school days. It felt good.”
The remaining doubters should consider his special teams impact as well. Rodgers has been the Packers’ primary punt returner in the preseason. At this point, it would be surprising to see Green Bay throw a changeup at the last minute and have someone else start returning punts.
It was a blueprint that unraveled last year when Rodgers was a rookie — and the results were fairly disastrous. This offseason has yielded different results. Maybe new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia can unlock Rodgers and help him find success on both offense and special teams.
The rookies like Toure and Romeo Doubs — and even Christian Watson, who hasn’t appeared in a game yet — are getting a lot of the headlines, but make no mistake about it: The way the Packers have utilized Rodgers in the preseason foreshadows their plans for the regular season.
Where things really get interesting is with the Packers’ No. 3 running back spot.
Tyler Goodson was a monster against the Chiefs and scored the Packers’ only touchdown on the evening. He’s been consistent throughout the preseason and should be the leader in the clubhouse for RB3. However, one has to wonder if the Packers are considering rolling with just Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon and using Rodgers as the gadget back, making him the de facto third back in the pecking order.
If that is the plan, it could be extremely similar to how the Packers used former running back/wideout Ty Montgomery. It could also be reminiscent of the way they used Randall Cobb at times earlier in his career.
Earlier this offseason, LaFleur hinted at using Rodgers in dynamic ways. Against the Chiefs, it came full circle.
“Amari has been around the game for a long time. You can tell he’s a coach’s kid. He studies really hard. We’ve thrown a lot at him. We’re not holding back in terms of we’ve got him in a few different roles. Primarily, I think he’ll be more in the spot, and then I think we’ll use him in the jet-sweep stuff … I’m excited about where he can go.”
Amari Rodgers is embracing whatever role he’s asked to play, and the confidence he’s displayed this year is vastly different from his rookie season.
Rodgers will be the first to say his rookie campaign didn’t go how he wanted it to, but he came into this training camp having cut weight and ready for the Packers to give him a full plate.
Green Bay loves players with varied skillsets. Elgton Jenkins is a shining example of this, excelling at any spot on the offensive line. A.J. Dillon is another; he’s grown into a complete back, one who can rush and receive, in just his first few years with the Packers. Amari Rodgers could be the next project in line. The Packers hope he can be the next iteration of the versatile Montgomery or facilitate trickery like Cobb did in his first stint with the team.
One thing is certain: Rodgers had ample opportunity in the preseason to showcase his abilities. Against the Chiefs, he showed up and showed out.
Amari Rodgers isn’t going anywhere. In fact, the Packers hope he’s just getting started.
