Packers: Rasul Douglas goes from practice squad to prolific playmaker

When cornerback Rasul Douglas was initially signed back in early October, many in Packers Nation doubted the pick-up and wanted Stephon Gilmore instead.

Fast forward over two months later, and all doubt has been erased. Douglas joining the Green Bay Packers has not only reinvigorated his career but has also re-energized the Packers’ defense as a whole.

Since joining the team over two months ago, Douglas’ performance on the field has been absolutely fantastic. In 10 games with Green Bay thus far, he has a total of five interceptions, two of which have been pick-sixes (back-to-back weeks against Los Angeles in Week 12 and Chicago in 14).

That’s equally as many as he had in his first 60 career games. Along with those impressive game-changing turnovers, he’s given up a minimal passer rating to opposing quarterbacks when targeted (50.0), which ranks third in the NFL among cornerbacks who have played at least 50% of their snaps. He’s also the first Packer defensively since Nick Collins in 2010 to have three-straight interceptions at Lambeau Field.

Amongst his teammates, Douglas has become a prized possession of sorts, earning tons of rightful praise since he signed. One player in particular is Aaron Rodgers, who was asked about Douglas after the team’s Christmas Day victory over Cleveland:

"“I don’t think Rasul is a role player. He’s a star,” said Rodgers. “He’s got incredible ball skills, he’s around the football all the time and he’s changed our team. He really has.”"

Even with the praise being heaped on him, Douglas said he thinks the only stars on the team are 12 and 17 (Rodgers and Davante Adams), so at least he’s humbled by the respect shown by his teammates and coaches.

All in all, this was an A++ signing by Brian Gutekunst and I hope that Douglas continues to shine into the postseason. One thing’s for sure, his play on the field has been absolutely incredible and he has been the glue that keeps this defense together as of late.

Let’s hope the momentum keeps rolling in these final couple weeks. This team is special, and Douglas is just one of the few underrated cogs in the wheel whose contributions have made an immense impact on the team as a whole.

It’s been an incredible journey thus far for Douglas, who’s gone from a practice squad player to a prolific playmaker in the matter of a couple months, which is remarkable.