The Green Bay Packers were gearing up for their Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, but general manager Brian Gutekunst parted ways with one of the team’s oldest playmakers just hours before the game.

With the emergence of rookie wideout Christian Watson and fellow rookie receiver Romeo Doubs expected to play in Week 15, Tom Pelissero with NFL Network tweeted that veteran Sammy Watkins had been released on Monday, December 19.

The move came as a bit of a surprise given Watkins’ short tenure in Green Bay. After being signed to a one-year deal during the offseason, Watkins had struggled to stay on the field, even going on injured reserve and missing significant time earlier this season.

Although he struggled to stay on the field, Watkins was a veteran presence at the position that has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his nine NFL seasons. Now, the Packers will be relying even more on their rookie receivers in Watson and Doubs for the rest of the year.