From the moment the Patriots announced they had signed wide receiver Romeo Doubs in free agency, fans weren't all that excited about what he could bring to the offense. His accomplishments with the Packers over the first four years of his career were completely overlooked, so there wasn't much said about what his New England debut might look like.
All the focus was on A.J. Brown, which makes sense, but it only proved even more that Doubs was being overlooked. Now that we've seen how poorly his first game with the Patriots went, many fans are taking victory laps about his fit with the offense.
Many believed it confirmed their initial thoughts that they could've brought in a better player instead. Those feelings only deepened after hearing what Doubs had to say about his frustrating drop in the game and a catch that became an interception.
But one bad game doesn't define an NFL player, and if it did, many who went on to become superstars would have been dismissed early in their careers, before ever reaching legendary status.
Because all the noise is so loud around Doubs going into the Patriots' mini bye before Week 2 against the Steelers, Packers expert Freddie Boston of Lombardi Ave had a lot to say about what Patriots fans should know about their newest receiver, with an emphasis on not giving up on him just yet.
There's no reason to believe Romeo Doubs will forever be the player the Patriots saw in Week 1
In an effort to get a better understanding of the kind of player Doubs is and who he could become with the Patriots, Musket Fire reached out to Boston to get his thoughts on the Packers' former rising star, who thrived with any quarterback he worked with.
Boston had nothing but good things to say about Doubs, from the kind of player he is on and off the field to how reliable he became for Jordan Love. So there's plenty to look forward to after his frustrating debut.
"Patriots fans shouldn't lose any confidence. Doubs didn't become a bad player overnight.
He was often the glue that held the Packers' passing game together. That's what made Wednesday night so uncharacteristic. Doubs was consistently one of Jordan Love's most trusted targets. Love looked his way a team-high 85 times last season, connecting 55 times for 724 yards and six touchdowns.
And Love trusted him in big moments, too. It's why 60 percent of his touchdowns over the past two seasons were on third and fourth down. It's why Doubs' best performance (11 catches, 124 yards, 1 TD) came in the playoffs."
It doesn't take much research to see why the Patriots liked what they saw in Doubs, leading them to sign him early in free agency.
Other than being a young player who is yet to hit his prime, allowing him to grow with Drake Maye for years to come, he was also reliable, just as Boston said, for the Packers' young quarterback, too. It's what helped him have the best season of his career in 2025, when he recorded 55 receptions for 724 yards and 6 touchdowns.
That didn't happen overnight, and it certainly won't with a new team that took no meaningful snaps together in the preseason. So jumping to any conclusion about what kind of player Doubs can be for the Patriots is premature.
Patriots fans' first impression of Romeo Doubs is not a good one - but that shouldn't last forever
Although his post-game comments did nothing to help his case, Boston believes it was a matter of Doubs poorly expressing himself, and it's not indicative of the kind of player he has been or will be.
Considering he watched the 26-year-old play in Green Bay for four years, it would be fair to say he knows Doubs better than anyone in New England does at this point, so he is probably right with his assertion.
"Many have jumped on his postgame comments, with Doubs saying he "wasn't locked in enough." Again, it has been blown way out of proportion. That's his, admittedly poorly worded, way of taking accountability for not performing well enough, not calling himself out for not caring enough.
Packers fans were desperate to see Doubs succeed on Wednesday night.
That should tell Patriots fans everything. He was an important piece of the passing game with Aaron Rodgers and Love. Patriots fans will see it soon, too. Ignore the outside noise. Doubs will bounce back."
"Doubs will bounce back."
It might be far from a promise, since anything can happen in the NFL, but assuming the absolute worst of a player from one bad game, especially their first game with a new team, is outlandish. Even Tom Brady didn't have great games at the start of his career, and it would be crazy to have given up on him because of one bad showing.
With A.J. Brown presumably out for a few games, that means Doubs will have more opportunities to show what he can do, and hopefully, chances to show that in less stressful situations than trying to come back from having a 10-point lead slashed away.
He certainly needs it if he wants to get back in the good graces of fans, even if they are a bit too brutal most of the time, and he will have that chance to prove Boston right as soon as the Patriots' Week 2 home opener against the Steelers next Sunday.
Now, we just have to hope he can do that.
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