Randall Cobb Confirms Packers Trade from Texans amid Rodgers Buzz: 'I'm Coming Home'
July 28, 2021
Randall Cobb is returning to the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers finalized a trade with the Houston Texans for Cobb at the behest of Aaron Rodgers, sending an undisclosed draft pick to Houston for the veteran wideout. The receiver took to Twitter earlier in the day to confirm he's headed north to Green Bay:
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported the Packers will send a 2022 sixth-round pick to the Texans in exchange for Cobb. The Texans will also reportedly pay $3 million of Cobb's 2021 salary as part of the agreement.
Cobb spent eight seasons with the Packers and was a steady target for Rodgers. He caught 470 passes for 5,524 yards and 41 touchdowns.
When the 30-year-old signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a free agent in 2019, Rodgers quoted The Shawshank Redemption in an Instagram post, saying, "some birds aren't meant to be caged" and "I guess I just miss my friend."
Rodgers and the Packers have been in a standoff all season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Monday the two sides had a breakthrough after Green Bay committed to making some "concessions" to the three-time MVP.
If it keeps the future Hall of Famer happy, then bringing Cobb back makes sense because a trade shouldn't come at a steep cost. He does, however, have an $8.5 million salary-cap hit in 2021.
The Packers selected Clemson wideout Amari Rodgers in the third round in April to presumably operate out of the slot, where Cobb has been the most successful.
"You can never have enough good players," head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters when asked about Cobb and Rodgers. "I think we have a pretty good staff that will find ways to incorporate those guys. The possibility of that happening, we're really excited about."
Schefter reported the Packers pledged to reexamine Rodgers' long-term fit with the team next offseason, which "implies that the team will trade Rodgers if he still feels the way he has about the Packers' culture and decision-making."
Should Rodgers move on in 2022, Cobb's reunion with Green Bay could be short-lived.