5 Packers Who Must Be Benched Before the Playoffs

Dontayvion Wicks

Dontayvion Wicks’ place on this list is less about punishment and more about a much-needed reality check. The Packers don’t need to bench Wicks permanently, but they do need to send a message: his struggles catching the ball are unacceptable, and they must be addressed if he wants to remain a key part of the offense.

Wicks’ Thanksgiving performance against the Dolphins provided another frustrating example. A catchable pass slipped right through his hands, marking his seventh drop of the season. That means Wicks has dropped 25 percent of the catchable balls thrown his way—an eye-popping statistic that would make any quarterback hesitant to target him.

Even worse, Wicks has caught just 42 percent of his total targets this year, ranking dead last among the 78 players with at least 50 targets.

Wicks is too talented to sit on the sideline indefinitely. His ability to create separation as a route runner is elite, and he’s proven to be an asset in the running game, where he frequently throws critical blocks to open rushing lanes. That kind of versatility is invaluable, especially for a Packers team leaning on balance to power their late-season surge.

But there’s a fine line between valuable and reliable, and right now, Wicks is teetering on the edge. A short stint on the bench could serve as a wake-up call, snapping him out of his slump and refocusing him for the stretch run. If Wicks can clean up his drops, he has the potential to be a game-changer in the postseason. But first, he needs to earn back the trust of his quarterback—and his coaching staff.

In other Packers news: