Green Bay Packers 2018 roster review: Richard Rodgers
It was a disappointing season for Green Bay Packers tight end Richard Rodgers.
Rodgers was drafted in 2014 to help the Green Bay Packers replace Jermichael Finley. Outside of 2015, when Rodgers caught eight touchdowns, he hasn’t produced consistently.
Let’s take a look back at his 2017 season.
Season in review
It wasn’t an ideal contract year for the former third-round pick.
Here’s a look at Rodgers’ offensive snaps each year of his career, according to Pro Football Reference:
2014: 480
2015: 799
2016: 604
2017: 305
It’s no surprise then, that Rodgers posted career-lows in just about every category in 2017. He had just 12 catches for 160 yards and one touchdown, all career-lows.
Rodgers lost snaps to Martellus Bennett (played 388 snaps) and then Lance Kendricks (468).
He also wasn’t leaned on in the red zone. Rodgers has caught 13 touchdown passes in four years, although eight of those came in 2015, which is the season he set a career-high in snaps.
Rodgers is durable, having missed just one game in four years, but that’s where the consistency ends. He’s not done enough as a pass catcher. Rodgers is a good red zone target, but he’s been largely ineffective in other areas.
Looking ahead to 2018 season
Rodgers is set to become a free agent in March, and at this stage it’s up in the air whether he’ll return to Green Bay.
On one hand the Packers need depth at tight end. Having lost Jared Cook and Martellus Bennett over the past year, letting Rodgers walk would leave the cupboard bare at the position. Without Rodgers, the Packers would be left with Lance Kendricks, Emanuel Byrd and Robert Tonyan.
But has Rodgers done enough to land a new contract? Probably not.
A possibility is that general manager Brian Gutekunst allows Rodgers to test the market. If he doesn’t receive an offer elsewhere, the Packers could bring him back on a short-term contract at a low cost to provide some depth at the position.
Next: Packers: 12 players that need to go this offseason
Whether Rodgers returns or not, the Packers need to add another tight end this offseason, either through free agency or the draft.