Packers Cut Ties with Former Vikings WR
Josh Frey
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Though the Green Bay Packers are in the middle of their worst season in years, sitting a 5-8, they are not done fiddling with their roster just yet. Earlier this week, the Packers cut ties with former Vikings WR Dede Westbrook.
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Westbrook signed with Green Bay back in November, joining their practice squad as potential receiver depth as Randall Cobb and Romeo Doubs spent time dealing with injuries. However, he did not see any playing time during the month that he spent with the team, and he was released.
The veteran wide receiver spent the 2021 season with the Minnesota Vikings, and he was intended to be the WR3 for a team that needed depth behind Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. That didn’t particularly work out to plan.
While Westbrook had a decent season as a punt returner, the Vikings targeted Westbrook just 15 times in their 2021 offense, grabbing 10 receptions for 68 yards. It was the lowest target load of his career in a healthy season.
At his peak, Westbrook was targeted 101 times per season (2018 and 2019), so his decision not to re-sign with the Vikings was unsurprising. For special teams, 15 punt returners attempted 20+ punt returns in 2021, and Westbook ranked ninth of the 15 per returned-yards average (8.3). He also fumbled twice.
Overall, in six NFL seasons, the 29-year-old receiver has caught 170 passes for 1788 yards and 9 touchdowns. He’s also returned 69 punts at an average of 9.3 yards per return. He returned a punt for a touchdown back in 2018 with the Jaguars.
Now, Westbrook is free to sign with any team to close out the season. Perhaps he will catch on as a depth piece for a playoff team, or maybe he’ll try to become more of a featured part of a rebuilding offense.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.