After catching multiple Hail Mary passes with the season on the line, the Packers expected big things from receiver Jeff Janis in 2016. To date, he hasn’t delivered.
Janis appears as a third-string receiver on the Packers’ initial depth chart, calling into question whether he’ll even make the 53-man roster. Last week, he dropped what would have been an easy touchdown pass from quarterback Aaron Rodgers during a Wednesday night training-camp session, and chatter has emerged that Janis performs better in games than in practices.
It’s hard to survive in the NFL with what isn’t officially (but should be) known as the Tebow Contradiction. The failed former NFL quarterback performed very well in the clutch, not very well in every other setting. In practice specifically, Tebow was often abysmal.
Last year, Janis made the 53-man roster based on potential, not performance. If the performance isn’t there soon, he won’t be around for long in Green Bay.
If the Packers ultimately cut Janis, someone else will surely give him a chance. Still, if he can’t deliver at his next stop in practice, it will be hard to trust him during games — unless and until injuries give the head coach no alternative, which is exactly what happened in January in that epic postseason game against the Cardinals.