Green Bay Packers fans have had to endure swirling trade talks around wide receiver Romeo Doubs for a long, long time. But, despite those calls from every corner of the internet, the Packers' front office has held firm by keeping Doubs in Green Bay.
The calls for a trade weren't without some merit, though. The Packers' wide receiver room is overpopulated with high-potential talent, and Doubs himself is due a new contract soon, which makes him expendable with younger options on the roster.
But, as Doubs has helped prove in 2025, roster management isn't always about what moves you can make; it's also about getting, keeping, and using the best talent available.
Packers are quickly going from 'trade Doubs' to 'pay Doubs'
The Packers decided this offseason, and through the early portions of the regular season, that Doubs isn't up for trade. Teams have called, analysts and experts have long suggested the move, but general manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur haven't budged.
Instead, they kept Doubs in-house and have reaped the full benefits. He's the leading wideout in every receiving category through four games, most notably with touchdowns, already recording four this season to lead the team overall.
Last week, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that instead of entertaining any more trades that would ship Doubs elsewhere, the franchise is actually more intrigued by locking Doubs in with a contract extension. Given his performance so far this season, such a move won't come cheap.
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That's certainly a risk, but the Packers are in a win-now mode, even with such a young roster. And if Doubs is helping the team win as the WR1, those trade talks from the outside begin to lack substance or rationality.
Surely, someone out there will have the argument ready to go if Doubs inevitably ends up a free agent and the Packers get nothing in return. A few things could derail such an argument - this is a team deep in Super Bowl conversations despite their last two outings, after all.
Even if Green Bay does fall short of the sport's ultimate goal, is he not worth keeping around for the best opportunity of reaching it? Clearly, that's how the Packers see the situation, and so far, there's little reason to believe that it's the wrong perspective.