Green Bay Packers wide receiver Amari Rodgers admitted he weighed too much and wasn’t in good enough shape during his rookie season in 2021, but an offseason focused on his body has him feeling more and more like the player that once dominated at Clemson.
Freed from the hustle and bustle of preparing for the draft and then being a first-year in the NFL, Rodgers attacked his training this offseason, in the process reshaping his body in an effort to move better during his second NFL season.
Rodgers, who is listed at 5-9 and 212 pounds, said he hired a chef and focused on conditioning to lose the weight that held him back in 2021.
“This offseason, I locked in on getting my body right,” Rodgers said after Tuesday’s minicamp practice in Green Bay. “I lost like six pounds, I lost four percent body fat. Lost all of it my torso, so I feel like I’m getting in that area where I was in college as far as where I want to be to move how I want to, and play receiver the way I should.”
Rodgers caught four passes for 45 yards, carried once for 11 yards and returned 20 kickoffs for 166 yards and 11 punts for 199 yards as a rookie. He struggled to get on the field as a receiver, even as the Packers dealt with injuries at the position, and his issues as a returner played into the Packers’ overall problems on special teams.
Rodgers lacked the quickness and explosiveness of his days at Clemson. Not being in top shape might have contributed to a lack of confidence on the field, too.
“The reason I wasn’t able to play as much was because I wasn’t in shape the way I wanted to,” Rodgers said. “I wasn’t able to go out there and play fast the way I want to because of my body type, how much I weighed, and how I was moving. I really took that to heart this offseason.”
The Packers have seen the benefits during the offseason workout program.
Last month, position coach Jason Vrable said he can sense Rodgers’ confidence growing as a player.
“Biggest thing we worked on, I talked to him in the offseason, how do you get your confidence? Well, you work and train harder than you ever did,” Vrable said. “So if you were to see him right now, he already looks faster and stronger than he ever did. He’s in the best shape of his life. His mindset is, ‘I’m going to be the No. 1 guy at all three positions.’ He has that going for him. His route-running is already cleaner and crisper. He’s trained an entire offseason.”
With his body in the right place, Rodgers can now focus on the bigger goals: Securing a role in the Packers offense and becoming a weapon for Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur.
Making plays on the practice field, especially with No. 12 in the huddle, is a good way of making it happen.
“Just making a play, doing something every day to make the staff remember me. That’s really my mindset,” Rodgers said. “Do something every single day to make him remember me. Doing the extra, being the first one in, last one out, watching film, just learning every single day.
