The Green Bay Packers are heading into the 2023 season with plenty of uncertainty. Aaron Rodgers will [eventually] be traded to the New York Jets and Jordan Love will take over. While the team and many fans are optimistic about Love, he still needs to prove that he was worth their first round pick. The only way to do this is by playing, and play he will.
An almost bigger question mark, though, regards who he will be throwing to. As of right now, April 1, the only wide receivers that the Packers have on their roster are Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, Bo Melton, and Jeff Cotton. Unsurprisingly, their combined salary is not much, and gives Green Bay the lowest-paid wide receiver room in the NFL.
The Green Bay Packers Are Paying Their Wide Receivers Less Than $6 Million
NFL Analyst Warren Sharp tweeted out a post that detailed the amount of money each NFL team is paying their wide receivers this season. The Los Angeles Rams topped the list with over $51 million dedicated to the position. The Packers were on the other end of the spectrum, dead last, with just $5.5 million dedicated to their wide receiver room.
most expensive WR rooms in 2023:
1. Rams – $51.9M
2. Cardinals – $51.7M
3. Broncos – $42.9M
4. Raiders – $42.0M
5. Jaguars – $39.0M
6. Bucs – $38.5M
7. Browns – $38.3M
8. Dolphins – $36.5M
9. Seahawks – $35.5M
10. Commanders – $32.5M
11. Bears – $31.5M
12. Chargers – $30.4M
13.…— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) April 1, 2023
According to Spotrac, the breakdown of the Packers’ wide receiver salaries in 2023 is as follows:
- Christian Watson: $1.1 million
- Romeo Doubs: $870,000
- Samori Toure: $870,000
- Bo Melton: $750,000
- Jeff Cotton: $750,000
Now, perhaps Sharp knows something Spotrac doesn’t because the above salaries total just $4.34 million, even less than the $5.5 million he reported in his Tweet. In any case, the point is the same: the wide receiver position is not one the Packers were willing to/able to spend money on this season.
The Green Bay Packers Wide Receivers When Aaron Rodgers Took Over
While many debate how good Jordan Love will be in his first year, it is interesting to compare his current wide receiver position to that which Aaron Rodgers had when he became the Packers’ starting quarterback in 2008. His wide receivers consisted of the following:
- Donald Driver
- Greg Jennings
- Jordy Nelson
- Ruvell Martin
- James Jones
That year was Driver’s ninth in the league; Jennings and Martin were in their third year; James Jones was in his second season; and Nelson was a rookie. Aside from Driver, Rodgers, too, entered his tenure as the starting quarterback with a young wide receiver core. Not as young as Love’s, but young.
It is worth noting, too, that the Packers went 6-10 in Rodgers’ first season. Sometimes it takes time for players to develop together, and perhaps we should expect that with Love and his receivers.
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