The Green Bay Packers’ backfield has been one of the many adventures for this year’s team. While a shuffle along the offensive line and a defense that has been transformed by defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and star pass rusher Micah Parsons have stolen headlines, the backfield has remained a big storyline through Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, and MarShawn Lloyd.
While Wilson started the year with a modest role, his star has burned brighter in recent weeks. A knee contusion forced Jacobs to the sideline in Week 12 and opened the door for Wilson to have a career day with 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a win over the Minnesota Vikings.
That game may make it seem like both sides would love to run it back next year, but Wilson may have a different feeling and may be looking for a fresh start when he becomes a free agent next spring.
Emanuel Wilson May Need a Fresh Start Amid Packers’ RB Plans
For most of the season, Wilson has been the caddy to Josh Jacobs. After running for 502 yards and four touchdowns with a 59.2% success rate last year, Wilson has been solid again this year with 341 yards, three touchdowns, and a 56.5% success rate. His ability to get involved in the passing game with 28 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown over his three-year career also signals an intriguing skill set for head coach Matt LaFleur, but like most players, it’s all about opportunity.
Wilson has had just double-digit carries just three times this season and has under five carries on five separate occasions. Even after a two-week explosion where Wilson ran for 147 yards, scored three times, and added three catches for 27 yards between Week 11 and 12, he was rewarded with just four carries for 14 yards in a Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions.
It wasn’t just the lack of carries that was alarming for Wilson. It was that he barely got on the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs had 33 snaps to Wilson’s 12, but he also was passed over for third-string pass-blocking specialist Chris Brooks, who had 18 snaps in the win. While that usage is standard for a team that has a bellcow running back, it’s a concerning development for a backfield that’s about to become more crowded with Lloyd’s return.
Looking ahead to 2026, the Packers would probably like to have Jacobs, who is under contract for $14.6 million, and Lloyd, a 2024 third-round draft pick, lead their backfield. That also should be clear to Wilson that if he is ever going to become the lead back in Green Bay, there are a lot of dominoes that need to fall his way.
It’s a situation similar to that of former Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell. While Gainwell carved out a niche as a third-down weapon, he also knew that Saquon Barkley and Will Shipley were going to make it difficult to see the field. After hitting free agency, Gainwell signed a one-year, $1.79 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers and is approaching a career season with 76 carries for 356 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and 44 catches for 259 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the passing game.
Gainwell didn’t get a big payday, but it also showed a back that was willing to bet on himself to find a better situation. Wilson could be having the same thoughts after his light workload on Thanksgiving, and if Lloyd can stay healthy, it could be the determining factor on whether or not the former is back with the Packers next season.