The Green Bay Packers officially pulled the plug on the Amari Rodgers experiment.
The Packers announced they released the wide receiver Tuesday.
Rodgers has struggled mightily as a punt returner, fumbling four times on the season, including a key botch in Sunday’s overtime victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Keisean Nixon replaced Rodgers as the punt returner after Sunday’s fumble.
It’s one thing for Green Bay to take away the punt-returning duties or inactivate Rodgers. However, it’s an entirely different story for the Packers to outright release the former third-round pick midway through his second season with the club.
Rodgers has struggled to see the field on offense, generating just eight catches for 95 yards in 26 games with the Packers.
The Packers pride themselves on drafting and developing talent. Brian Gutekunst’s jettisoning Rodgers midway through his second season speaks volumes about where the No. 85 overall pick in 2021 was in the pecking order. While it’s not likely to change the season for 4-6 Green Bay, it’s an admission the club botched the selection and didn’t see any development on the horizon from the Clemson product. It’s a rare move for the ordinarily patient Packers front office.
The team also cut 2021 seventh-round running back Kylin Hill.