Following free agency and the NFL Draft, one of the most intriguing groups on the Green Bay Packers’ roster is at running back.
Over the course of the next two seasons, we could see a complete revamp at the position, and the dominoes leading toward that revamp should begin to fall relatively soon.
Heading into OTAs, here’s how it stands.
Hellos and Goodbyes
At the beginning of this offseason, the Green Bay Packers chose not to tender running back Emanuel Wilson, who had served as the primary backup for the past two seasons.
That left the room quite thin, and in a surprise to some, the team hasn’t done too much to bolster it.
Green Bay retained pass-blocking savant Chris Brooks, and practice squad men Pierre Strong Jr. and Damien Martinez signed to futures deals, but the draft came and went with no selections.
Jaden Nixon was then brought on as a UDFA, but it seems as if the Packers are heading into the season with a lot of eggs in MarShawn Lloyd‘s basket.
Considering starting running back Josh Jacobs‘ lingering injuries this past season, that might not be enough.
Chris Brooks is great in what he’s asked to do, but he’s never had a volume of carries.
Nixon, Martinez, and Strong Jr. are essentially unknown variables, and Lloyd has been unable to stay healthy.
If the Packers run into the injury bug, which they always tend to do, running back could become a very serious weakness very quickly, which is a massive concern when it comes to how head coach Matt LaFleur runs his offense.
LaFleur often focuses on establishing the running game, regardless of how quarterback Jordan Love is performing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers try to add a more proven option near cut-down time in an attempt to strengthen their stable.
If the front office can finally start seeing production from MarShawn Lloyd however, they may not have to.
Boom or Bust
As has been the case for the past couple of seasons, one of the Green Bay Packers’ biggest question marks is running back MarShawn Lloyd.
When the team selected Lloyd in the third round out of USC in 2024, NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah declared that the Packers had gotten the best back available in the class.
Unfortunately, that has yet to come to fruition, with a string of frustrating injuries limiting him to a single game played in the regular season.
Like a few of his fellow teammates, a lot of Lloyd’s issues have stemmed from his hamstring, and last season, the Packers sent him to the Badger Athletic Performance Center at UW-Madison to hopefully address his soft tissue history.
While the program has been a success in the past for some, most notably wide receiver Christian Watson, it doesn’t seem to have been a difference maker for Lloyd, who suffered multiple setbacks during his IR return window towards the end of 2025.
This begs the question of whether or not Lloyd will ever be able to stay healthy, but assuming that the offseason goes well, he’ll be getting a massive opportunity to cement himself as a part of the Green Bay Packers’ plans.
In his limited showings in practice and preseason play, Lloyd has looked the part of a starting NFL back at times, and his eventual success could allow the Packers access to a great one-two punch in 2026, as well as some serious roster flexibility heading into 2027.
Lloyd’s future is the definition of boom or bust, and considering how well Brian Gutekunst’s other 2024 draft picks have played out, Green Bay would love to add another hit to the list.
A Decision Looms
Depending on how the rest of the running back room performs in 2026, this season may be Josh Jacobs’ last in a Green Bay Packers uniform.
Jacobs currently has two years left on his deal, and in 2027, he’s owed nearly seventeen million dollars.
With the wear and tear beginning to pile up, and Jacobs slowly aging out of what is considered the “prime” for the position, the idea of him becoming a cap casualty next year isn’t too far fetched, especially if the Packers can find some stability in MarShawn Lloyd.
There’s no doubting the impact that Jacobs has had on Green Bay in past two seasons, especially as a successful pivot from longtime starter Aaron Jones, but his dead cap plummets to just over three million dollars in 2027, and unless he’s willing to take a pay cut, the writing might be on the wall already.
Building a Framework
Following Emanuel Wilson’s departure to Seattle, it seems as if the pecking order at running back in Green Bay should be set in stone, but in reality, it’s anything but.
Every part of the room hinges on the health of former third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd, heading into both this season and the next, and that’s a risky proposition.
Chris Brooks, Damien Martinez, Jaden Nixon, and Pierre Strong Jr. will all be options, but none of them are likely to be more than role players.
For the Packers sake, let’s hope for two things: an injury-free season for Josh Jacobs, in which he returns to some level of his 2024 efficiency, and perhaps the biggest swing, a breakout campaign for MarShawn Lloyd.
