The individual decisions to release wide receiver Amari Rodgers and running back Kylin Hill were made because of two separate factors: on-field performance and buying in off the field.
Coach Matt LaFleur explained why the Packers released Rodgers and Hill on Tuesday.
The decision on Rodgers was production-based; the process behind Hill was not meeting in-house expectations within a role.
LaFleur on Rodgers: “Amari, that one hurts a lot. I know how much this meant to him. He did everything we asked him to. He was a great teammate. He worked his tail off. You could see him really growing in terms of overall knowledge. But we are in a production-based business, and it’s unfortunate. It truly is. I feel for him. He’s a guy I have a lot of respect for and care for deeply. I’m confident he’s going to get another shot. Sometimes that’s the best thing for guys in this league. You go through a little bit of adversity and get a fresh start somewhere else. I wish him nothing but the best.”
Rodgers, a third-round pick in 2021, had just eight catches in 26 career games and also fumbled five times this season, including a lost fumble against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
LaFleur on Hill: “It’s a tough deal. I would say this: being a member of the Green Bay Packers is a privilege. And there are standards and expectations that are placed on every member of this team that we expect guys to live up to. I appreciate what Kylin’s been through, and I know it hasn’t been easy coming back from that knee injury that he suffered a year ago, that was a pretty devastating hit. He was a guy we had some high expectations for. I realize he is in loaded room. But regardless of your role, no matter how big or how small, we expect guys to come to work and just be supportive and own that role to the best of their ability. When you don’t do that, this is what happens.”
It’s unclear if a specific incident happened within the building or during Sunday’s win over the Cowboys that directly led to Hill’s release on Tuesday.
Hill, a seventh-round pick in 2021, tore his ACL in Week 8 last season and missed the last nine games of his rookie season and the first seven games of this season. After returning, Hill played just one snap on offense and eight snaps on special teams over the last two games. He was the No. 3 running back behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, a job that will now go to Patrick Taylor, who was signed to the roster after Hill’s release.
