Packers’ Romeo Doubs wishes he had handled the absence differently

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Packers receiver Romeo Doubs hasn’t provided much clarity about why he skipped the two days of practice and meetings last week that led to his one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, but he expressed regret about it Expressed how he handled the situation.

“I absolutely wish I had handled things differently,” Doubs said Friday in his first comments since the suspension was lifted Saturday.

Asked what he would have done differently, Doubs said: “Stay in better communication.”

When asked why he didn’t show up at the team hall last Thursday and Friday, Doubs would only say: “I had some problems mentally. I don’t feel comfortable getting too involved in it.”

However, he later said it was not a mental health issue or a health issue for him or his family.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Friday that Doubs will play in Sunday’s game against the Cardinals. The Packers (3-2) defeated the Rams 24:19 last weekend without Doubs and fellow receiver Christian Watson (ankle injury).

Doubs denied it had anything to do with a lack of options in the passing game, which was the reason for the receiver’s absence from the team, according to Sports Illustrated last week.

However, when asked directly whether it was about his role in the offense, Doubs initially said: “No comment, man.”

“It’s a great offense here,” Doubs added. “We have a couple of ballplayers in our room. … It’s about much more than just me finding my role individually. This league is all about winning football games.”

Later in the six-minute interview at his locker, he said more clearly that his role in the crime was not the reason he didn’t show up for work for two days. Doubs said he reached out to the team upon his return this week but did not share details of his message with his teammates.

“I think two days won’t ruin the three years of work and commitment he’s put in for us,” Watson said earlier this week. “It’s definitely going to be a bit strange straight away just because it was a pretty significant situation for him, but I mean he’s Rome for us. I think it will go by pretty quickly and we’ll all be right back with how we were.

Before his suspension, Doubs was second on the team with 20 catches for 169 yards but did not have a touchdown. He also played two of his four games with backup Malik Willis as the starting quarterback while Jordan Love recovered from his Week 1 knee injury and the Packers leaned heavily toward the run in both games.

The third-year pro is part of a young but strong receiver group in Green Bay that also includes Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks. LaFleur emphasized several times in the last week that team goals should come first.

“Everyone’s trying to provide for their families and stuff like that,” Watson said. “It’s difficult to assume when you feel like things never work out the way you want them to, but I don’t think that was the case for many of us. I think we were given opportunities; Each of us would like to get more, but I think that the team goal comes first and you complain about the individual goals later.”