With Aaron Rodgers now officially in Pittsburgh, the Steelers are once again drawing attention as a potential trade destination for wide receiver Romeo Doubs if the Green Bay Packers try to move him before the 2025 season.
Doubs is one of the most experienced wide receivers on the Packers’ roster, but the 25-year-old is also entering a contract year in a crowded room that only grew bigger in the offseason. In addition to returning every contributor from the 2024 season, the team also signed Mecole Hardman Jr. and drafted Matthew Golden and Savion Williams.
Consequently, NFL analysts have been beating the drum for the Packers to trade one of their contract-seeking receivers, and since fellow 2022 pick Christian Watson is on the mend from last January’s ACL injury, Doubs is the more likely candidate for a trade.
The Packers would still be wise to wait to explore their trade options until at least the end of training camp, when they’ll have a greater sense of the hierarchy at the position. If they decide Doubs is better as a trade chip, though, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox feels the Steelers would be an “obvious” fit for him after signing Rodgers.
“The Steelers would be an obvious landing spot for the Nevada product if he is on the move,” Knox wrote. “They need receiver depth, and Rodgers has experience playing with him. Doubs’ rookie season coincided with the veteran’s last campaign as a Packer.”
Is a Trade a Logical Path Forward for Packers at WR?
Rumors about the Packers trading away Doubs have been circulating since the draft in the spring, but is trading him — or any of their receivers — the logical way forward?
No doubt, the Packers have a logjam at the position. Doubs is part of a returning group that also includes top receiver Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Watson, Malik Heath and Bo Melton (who is splitting reps at cornerback now). The Packers have also brought in Hardman, Golden, Williams along with big-bodied undrafted rookie Sam Brown Jr.
It is a lot, and not everyone can stay on the 53-man roster.
Treating their surplus of talent as a problem is flawed thinking, though. The Packers have their sights set on competing for a Super Bowl after back-to-back playoff runs and will want the best talent available for quarterback Jordan Love on offense, even if that means keeping seven pass-catchers who can contribute in different roles and manners.
Could Doubs or Reed grow unhappy if the Packers push one of them to the back burner in favor of one of the rookies? Possibly, but the priority should stay focused on winning, and there is not much of a winning strategy in trading an asset before camp even starts.
Romeo Doubs Trade Could Make More Sense at Deadline
A trade is not completely out of the question if the Packers feel Doubs is expendable for their offense in 2025 — which is a big “if” — but it would make more sense for them to wait until the NFL trade deadline on November 4 before rushing to any judgments.
For starters, Doubs is a quality receiver. He has caught 147 passes for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns over his first three years with the Packers and built a strong connection with Love, who has spoken in the past about how much he feels he can rely on Doubs.
Throwing that away simply to make room for younger receivers is unnecessary, even if Doubs will depart from the team next March without a new contract in place for 2026.
The Packers also have no way of knowing if their new pass-catchers will live up to their lofty expectations. Golden is a first-round talent who impressed at Texas, but will he or Williams need time to adjust to the speed of the NFL before becoming major pieces?
Those answers will come as the Packers progress into the regular season, but it would be sensible of them to wait until they have them to make a trade decision about Doubs.
