Tag: Jace Sternberger

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said his team will be “depending on” and “counting on” second-year tight end Jace Sternberger to play a much bigger role for the offense during the 2020 season.

Gutekunst released Jimmy Graham in March, clearing the way to playing time for an athletic young player he believes can be a matchup problem in the passing game.

“We’re depending on Jace to be a big part of what we’re going to do this season,” Gutekunst said Sunday during a Zoom call with reporters. “From the time we drafted him, we looked at Jace as a matchup problem. He’s a very gifted athlete. He’s a young player, coming out, he had one year at Texas A&M. There was a lot of growth there. We really liked the positive signs we saw through the season last year. It was unfortunate not to have an offseason to springboard him into this season, but we’re excited to get him back into the fold and see what he can do.”

A third-round pick, Sternberger lost most of his rookie season after suffering a pair of injuries in August, including an ankle injury during a preseason game that eventually landed him on injured reserve. After coming back, Sternberger played a variety of roles in Matt LaFleur’s offense but only caught three passes over eight games, with all three catches – and a touchdown – coming during the postseason.

Now, with Graham in Chicago, Sternberger has an opportunity to be one of the passing game’s top targets.

“Jace is a guy we’re counting on,” Gutekunst said. “We certainly think a lot of him. We’re excited to see what he’ll do.”

Graham was targeted 60 times last season. Not only is the Packers’ top tight end gone, but so is Geronimo Allison, who handled 55 targets, and Devin Funchess – the team’s only notable addition at receiver – opted out of the 2020 season. The Packers need a young player like Sternberger to step up and contribute in a bigger role.

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After parting ways with veteran tight end Jimmy Graham this offseason, electing not to sign a tight end in free agency, and waiting until the third round to select tight end/H-back Josiah Deguara, the Green Bay Packers will almost undoubtedly be banking on internal improvement this year to strengthen what has been one of their weaker position groups.

The most likely player to lead that internal improvement and benefit from an increased snap count is second-year tight end Jace Sternberger.

Sternberger, a 2019 third-round pick, barely saw the field last year after spending most of the season on injured reserve with an ankle injury. When he finally returned late in the season, he appeared in only six games, saw the field on just six percent of offensive snaps and failed to record a regular-season catch.

Now that he’s healthy and no longer has to compete with Graham for snaps, however, he should have a much bigger role going forward.

Why he’ll break out

1. Sternberger will be catching passes from one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. There really aren’t many better situations for a pass-catching tight end to be in.
2. Aaron Rodgers doesn’t yet have a consistent No. 2 or No. 3 option in the passing game. Besides wide receiver Davante Adams, Rodgers doesn’t really have a target that he consistently looks for. Sternberger could step up and become one of those preferred targets.
3. The threat of Adams and the extra attention he draws could help Sternberger uncover more easily.
4. The Packers’ run-based offense should involve a lot of tight end usage. If Sternberger proves to be an adequate blocker, he could play on the majority of offensive snaps. If he plays on the majority of offensive snaps, he’ll have plenty of chances to make plays in the passing game, especially if the Packers can get their play-action game rolling.

Why he might not break out

1. Sternberger missed most of the 2019 NFL season, and he still has very little game experience. It could take most of the upcoming season to build a strong rapport with Rodgers. It might also take some time for him to adjust to playing against NFL starters.
2. Another tight end could emerge and steal a significant portion of his snaps. Robert Tonyan seems like the only real threat to Sternberger’s role as the primary receiving tight end, as he is the most physically gifted tight end on the Packers roster. If Tonyan finally turns his talent into regular-season production, he could really cut into Sternberger’s playing time.
3. Since the Packers are aiming to be a run-based offense, they might prefer to put their best run-blocking tight ends on the field for a majority of snaps. If Sternberger is not one of those, he might be forced to sit on the sideline more often than anticipated.

Previous 2020 Packers breakout candidates:

Rashan Gary

Allen Lazard

Now that the Jimmy Graham experiment is over in Green Bay, Jace Sternberger will likely be expected to step up and become the Packers’ top receiving option at tight end during the 2020 season.

A third-round pick in 2019, Sternberger suffered an ankle injury in a preseason matchup against the Kansas City Cheifs and was forced to miss eight games in his rookie year. He returned in Week 9, and although he didn’t make a huge impact, Sternberger still showed promise. In 2020, the former Texas A&M tight end will look to make the leap from barley targeted rookie to established pass-catcher.

Sternberger recently talked with The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman about the offseason and his upcoming sophomore campaign.

The 2020 offseason presents unprecedented challenges, but Sternberger is still doing all that he can to stay up to date by using Zoom to participate in OTAs. He said he thinks it’ll give him and his teammates a chance to crack down on “the details” individually.

In the fourth quarter of last year’s NFC Championship Game, the Packers were desperate for a big play, and it was Sternberger who answered the call. He caught a touchdown pass with 8:13 left to help Green Bay claw back into the game. The Packers were not able to complete the comeback, but Sternberger’s first career touchdown reception did wonders for his confidence, and he said he was “glad” to get his first score.

“Not trying to be the too-cool-for-school guy, but definitely, I was happy it happened, glad I got it out of the way,” Sternberger told Schneidman. “It was good momentum for sure, but I’m all ready for this season.”

Now that Sternberger will return to Green Bay as the Packers’ top tight end, he hopes to experience the glory of catching a touchdown on a more frequent basis.

“I will have the opportunity for my role to be bigger,” Sternberger said. “It’s all how I handle it and what I can prove. It goes back to me and this opportunity. I’m just really excited about it, and I’m just definitely ready for it,”

For the first time in his NFL career, Sternberger will enter a season with some pretty hefty expectations. However, he told Schneidman that he just wants to bring energy to Green Bay in 2020.

“I want to be that guy who’s in the game who’s getting the crowd fired up because he takes a hard hit, gets up, or runs someone over,” Sternberger said. “Doesn’t always have to make the most exciting play, but just someone who, when he steps on the field, you know he’s in the game because he’s making an impact somehow with his energy.”

The Packers have always had wide receivers who were able to make plays, but tight end has been a much different story. In recent years, Green Bay has not been able to find a tight end who could be a consistent threat in the passing game. This is where Sternberger fits into the equation. The second-year player out of Texas A&M could become the tight end that the Packers have been searching for.

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Tight end Jace Sternberger will be a moving chess piece for the Green Bay Packers offense in 2020.

Last year’s third-round pick told Peter Bukowski of Locked on Packers that coach Matt LaFleur is planning to play him “in the slot a lot” and have him “moving around” the offense next season. In his exit interview following the 2019 season, LaFleur challenged Sternberger to improve his ability to release off of the line of scrimmage in an effort to maximize his potential as a pass-catcher in 2020.

While Sternberger didn’t have a catch during the regular season of his rookie year, he gradually became a more important player on offense after returning from injured reserve, showcasing an ability to handle multiple roles. The Packers will attempt to put more on his plate in Year 2, and there’s a good chance he’ll be a much bigger part of the passing game now that Jimmy Graham is gone.

Opportunities in the slot may stress defensive personnel and will provide Sternberger with chances to attack the middle of the field using his speed. He was particularly effective when asked to run behind linebackers and stretch the seam at Texas A&M.

On at least two occasions during the regular season last year, Sternberger beat his man down the field in one-on-one coverage but the ball went elsewhere. Finding more opportunities to get him in the right matchups in the passing game will be crucial for LaFleur and the Packers in 2020.

During the postseason, Sternberger played 39 snaps over two games and caught his first NFL touchdown pass. He said the score against the San Francisco 49ers – caught in the back of the end zone against the coverage of Fred Warner – was partially the result of Aaron Rodgers subtly changing his route at the line of scrimmage. Sternberger saw the signal, made the adjustment and stuck with the route as Rodgers extended the play. More of that – with an emphasis on the execution pre-snap – will make him a favored target of Rodgers moving forward.

The Packers believe Sternberger, who caught 10 touchdown passes his final season at Texas A&M, can be a matchup problem as he develops.

“The flexibility he gives us. Obviously, he has a lot of speed, he can stretch the seam, he’s a matchup problem for linebackers and safeties. Matt put him in the backfield, moved him around a little bit,” GM Brian Gutekunst said in January. “Jace can be one of those guys, as he develops, he can play a lot of different places and be a matchup problem. Excited for him, excited that he gained a little bit of confidence at the end of the season that will hopefully be a push going into next year.”

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The Green Bay Packers’ decision to release Jimmy Graham, a move first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, should begin a youth movement at the tight end position in Green Bay.

Graham, who turned 33 in November, regressed physically and was unable to provide consistent impact in the passing game for the Packers, who viewed him as an athletic, touchdown-scoring machine when they signed him to a three-year, $30 million deal in March of 2018. Over 32 games, Graham caught just 93 passes and scored only five touchdowns.

The Packers tried to replace Jared Cook with Martellus Bennett and then Graham, and both high-profile signings busted. Now, it’s time for the youngsters to step into leading roles.

The most obvious beneficiary of Graham’s release is 2019 third-round pick Jace Sternberger, who will enter his second season with breakout potential. He brings speed, collegiate experience as a big-play threat in the passing game and positional versatility to the table, and after an injury-plagued first season, he’ll have a chance to be a major contributor in 2020. He flashed ability late in his first season, eventually catching a touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers in the NFC title game, and his total snaps will almost certainly rise significantly next season.

It’s possible Sternberger could become a priority in the passing game.

During his final season at Texas A&M, Sternberger produced 832 receiving yards, scored 10 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 yards per catch. GM Brian Gutekunst believes he can be a matchup problem from multiple positions in the passing game. In Year 2, he should be more physically developed and well-versed in the nuances of the playbook, potentially powerful developments for a talented player about to inherit a bigger opportunity playing with Aaron Rodgers.

The Packers are also expected to bring back exclusive rights free agent Robert Tonyan, a converted receiver who will enter his third season playing the tight end position. He caught 10 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in 2019.

Don’t discount the Packers’ desire to add young but experienced help at tight end. Austin Hooper, 25, is expected to be a top target in free agency for Gutekunst. A first-time Pro Bowler in 2019, Hooper could give the offense an ultra-reliable pass-catcher to team with Sternberger and Tonyan. He’ll be costly, but he’d provide a safe, consistent target in the intermediate parts of the field for Rodgers while also lessening some of the immediate expectations of Sternberger, who may still need another year before he’s truly ready to assume a full-time starting role.

The Packers should also be expected to draft another tight end, although the class of incoming tight ends is considered weak. Even so, drafting one capable of playing a future role in the offense is important, especially if Gutekunst can’t lure Hooper or another veteran tight end to Green Bay.

The one player in question is Marcedes Lewis. He turns 36 in May, but he provided valuable run blocking for Matt LaFleur’s offense in 2019. The Packers may want to give him one more shot to be the impact run blocker at tight end.

Even if Lewis is back in a part-time role, the youth movement at tight end is coming in Green Bay. Graham is gone, clearing the way for Sternberger and any potential additions – like Hooper – to take the torch at the position.

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Expect to see a lot more of No. 87 when the Green Bay Packers kick off the 2020 season.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur told Larry McCarren of the team’s official site that he’s planning to use Jace Sternberger more next season, citing his competitiveness, surprising effectiveness as a blocker and potential as a downfield receiver as reasons why the second-year tight end will be a bigger part of the offense.

A third-round pick, Sternberger went on injured reserve during the first week of the regular season and didn’t have a catch after returning in November, but he caught his first touchdown pass in the NFC title game and made a big impression on LaFleur and the Packers to finish the year.

“Here’s what I love about Jace Sternberger: I know the game’s not too big for him,” LaFleur said. “He loves to compete, and he’s so versatile. Whether it’s inline, or it’s moving into an H-back, fullback-type position. The guy has contact courage. He’s not afraid to put his face on people. He’s a much better blocker than anyone ever thought he was coming out of Texas A&M. I’m just excited for his future.”

Sternberger played snaps at several different spots during the regular season, including an extended stint as an H-back after Danny Vitale went down with an injury. In the postseason, he caught three passes in two games and scored his first touchdown from Aaron Rodgers during a scramble drill situation in the second half at Levi’s Stadium.

A dominant collegiate pass-catcher with soft hands and vertical speed, Sternberger embraced a blocking role during most snaps as a rookie, occasionally as an inline tight end but also as the move tight end on zone runs and as a lead blocker in the backfield. More improvement in the blocking department could make Sternberger a valuable and versatile weapon and a true breakout candidate in 2020.

GM Brian Gutekunst believes Sternberger can be a matchup problem.

“We’re really excited about Jace and where he can go,” Gutekunst told Jason Wilde of The Athletic before the combine. “I think the sky’s the limit. He’s got to put in the work and do it, but there’s a lot out there for him. We’re excited about it but, again, it’s the National Football League. Until you do it, I don’t know how much you can count on it. But we’re excited where he can go.”

The opportunity should be available. Marcedes Lewis is a free agent and Jimmy Graham is still a cut candidate, opening the door for a player like Sternberger to take a developmental leap and assume a bigger role. The Packers have been linked to free-agent tight end Austin Hooper, but even if he’s signed to be the new starting tight end, Sternberger could log hundreds of snaps as a field-stretching complement and do-everything player.

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