Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is never one to mince words. Despite the praise on social media for wide receivers Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, Rodgers told reporters on Tuesday that they need to be more consistent.
In fact, he said that it is “realistic” that both Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon get 50 targets from him in the passing game this season. Ryan Wood of The Green Bay Press Gazette shared these quotes from Rodgers on Twitter.
After saying young WRs need to be more consistent, Aaron Rodgers says 50 targets apiece for Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon is “very realistic” this season. #Packers offense could rely on those two a lot in passing game. “You’ve got to get your best 11 on the field,” Rodgers says.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 16, 2022
Rodgers threw the ball 531 times last season; 100 passing targets to Jones and Dillon would potentially account for nearly 20% of his passes.
Jones is already one of the Packers’ biggest weapons in the passing game. In the three seasons that Matt LaFleur has been the head coach, Jones has finished the season third, fifth and fourth on the team in terms of receiving yards. Additionally, he finished with 49, 47 and 52 receptions in the last three seasons. To say that Jones is going to get 50 targets is not a very bold prediction.
Dillon led thePackers in rushing yards last season. However, he was not used in the passing game as much as Jones was. This is not to say he was ineffective, though. Dillon ended 2021 with 34 receptions on 37 targets. If the Packers are going to use more two-running back sets this year, it is possible Dillon sees his number of targets go up.
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