Matt LaFleur May Cut Ties With 3x SB Champion After Packers WR Refused to Return From Injury

For Matt LaFleur, the wide receiver room has become a headache that won’t go away. The biggest scare came when Jordan Love banged up his thumb before practice on August 12. But as if that wasn’t enough, more injuries piled on once the team hit the field, leaving the Packers scrambling for answers in the middle of camp.

The latest on the list is Romeo Doubs. After a hard collision during drills, he was slow to get back up and eventually walked with a trainer into the Don Hutson Center. While reports weren’t clear on what exactly Doubs hurt, it raised red flags instantly. After all, this is the same guy who suffered two concussions last season, including one in the playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now the clock is ticking. The Packers must trim their roster to 53 players by 3 p.m. CT Tuesday, and one name firmly on the bubble is Mecole Hardman. If Green Bay sticks with six wideouts, the final slot will probably come down to Hardman and another fringe receiver. With Jayden Reed, Savion Williams, and Dontayvion Wicks expected to be on the initial roster—assuming their injuries don’t keep them off—alongside Matthew Golden and Doubs, the math doesn’t look promising for the former Super Bowl champ.

On one hand, Hardman could be penciled in as the team’s No. 1 punt returner. On the other hand, given how beat-up the wide receiver room already looks, the Packers may decide to use that final roster spot on someone who can offer more as a pure wideout and figure out special teams help later. So, as per The Athletic, that leaves Hardman’s value in limbo.

Adding to the pressure, Hardman hasn’t exactly made the case for himself. He’s managed just 10 yards on three punt returns so far, with mistakes like a muffed punt and a questionable return inside the 10 during the preseason opener against the Jets. This inconsistency is a far cry from the rookie who once earned second-team All-Pro as a kick returner.

With seven receivers battling for limited spots, he hasn’t done enough to lock one down. That reality could push him back onto the free agent market after the preseason finale. However, Matt LaFleur may also cut Romeo Doubs after he flat-out refused to return from injury.

Matt LaFleur faces a tough call on Romeo Doubs

Once upon a time, the Green and Gold’s wide receiver room looked crowded, but that picture has changed fast. Injuries have thinned the depth chart, and now the spotlight is firmly on Matt LaFleur as he weighs tough roster decisions. One of those choices could see Romeo Doubs cut loose, with the young wideout sidelined and his future hanging in the balance.

What made things worse was that speculation only grew after Doubs reportedly declined to return to practice, even though he was physically able to. That decision hasn’t sat well in Titletown. Moreover, the drama around Doubs isn’t exactly new. As Chris Schad of Dairyland Express summed it up, “The Packers have had plenty of drama in the receiver room. But the issues between Doubs and the Packers go beyond Josh Jacobs demanding a No. 1 receiver during Super Bowl week. At this time one year ago, Doubs was part of a stable of promising pass-catchers, but heading into Saturday’s game, he’s one of the players on Green Bay’s chopping block.”

The situation only got murkier when Doubs admitted, “I made a decision and that’s that,” as quoted by John Miller of NBC 26, regarding skipping joint practices with the Colts. For Matt LaFleur, that choice has become a bigger sticking point than the injury itself. However, it’s also worth noting Doubs wasn’t just another name on the roster.

Drafted in the fourth round out of Nevada back in 2022, he flashed potential with 42 catches for 425 yards as a rookie. He followed that up with 674 yards and eight touchdowns in his second season, but last year brought setbacks—46 catches, 601 yards, a suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, and two concussions, including one in the playoff loss to Philly. So while this summer’s camp looked like his chance to reset, injury struck again. And with him refusing to return, Matt LaFleur now faces an even tougher call on where Doubs fits into the Packers’ plans.