Just a couple of short years ago, the Green Bay Packers and fans were excited about the future of tight end Jace Sternberger. After taking him with the No. 75 overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, many expected that he would end up being the tight end of the future. That has not ended up happening.
Throughout his first two years with the Packers, Sternberger has played in 18 games. In those appearances, he has caught just 12 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. All of those stats came last season.
Now, there is some concern that Sternberger might not even make the 2021 final roster. He has struggled to find chemistry with Aaron Rodgers and has failed to develop like the Packers were hoping.
Zach Kruse of Packers Wire mentioned Sternberger as one player who could be on the roster bubble heading into training camp.
His first two NFL seasons were nothing if not rocky, and now he’ll start the 2021 season on the suspended list for two games. Tight end is an exceedingly difficult position for young players, but Sternberger is now going into Year 3, and he needs to show real flashes of improvement this summer.
Sternberger needs to find a specific role, something he can do consistently well within the scheme. He’ll be going into camp without much of one.
Standing in at 6-foot-4 and a shade over 250 pounds, Sternberger has all of the physical ability to be a special tight end. He has good athleticism and speed, but has yet to show it on the field. The Packers are hoping that changes during training camp and in preseason action.
At this point in time, the Packers have quite a few talented players at tight end. Robert Tonyan had a massive breakout season in 2020, catching 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. Green Bay also has Marcedes Lewis back along with Josiah Deguara and Dominique Dafney.
He may have an uphill road to find a roster spot, but the talent that Jace Sternberger possesses is still there. If he can develop with a full offseason of hard work, there is still a chance he finds himself on the roster for 2021. On the other hand, if the development isn’t there, he’ll be looking for a new team.
