The Green Bay Packers will be in the market to add ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline on Nov. 4. Currently armed with the best record in the NFC at 4-1-1, the Packers would be wise to invest in this team to not only make sure they stay at the top of the conference but fend off a competitive division where all three of their rivals are at or above .500 entering Week 8.
The current playoff picture makes it no surprise that Easton Butler of Packers Report revealed Green Bay had called four teams to upgrade their running back situation on Wednesday. The name associated with the report may have been a bigger surprise, as they were rumored to have explored a trade for Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane.
Adding Achane to the Packers offense would give Matt LaFleur all sorts of weapons to work with down the stretch. But the cost of a deal may be too much to swallow, and the Packers would be best served in a reunion with former running back Jamaal Williams.
Packers’ Running Back Solution Might Be Familiar Face Jamaal Williams
Outside of a pop up season in 2022, Williams has had a tough time since leaving Green Bay following the 2020 season. He ran for 1,985 yards and 10 touchdowns through four seasons with the Packers and got off to an uneventful start with the Detroit Lions, with 601 yards and three touchdowns during the 2021 season. The 2022 campaign changed everything, however, as Williams ran for 1,066 yards and an NFL-leading 17 touchdowns. While the career year helped him land a three-year, $12 million contract with the New Orleans Saints, he was released following the 2024 season.
Williams has failed a pair of workouts while trying to land a job in 2025, and at age 30, he may be approaching the end of his career. But while he isn’t the runner that he used to be, he could be the player the Packers currently need down the stretch.
The Packers currently have a bellcow in Josh Jacobs, but chances are they’re looking for an explosive complement. While Achane would be fun as a player that has averaged 5.5 yards per carry during his career and 7.8 yards per carry as a complementary back to Raheem Mostert during his rookie season in 2022, the Packers would not only have to give up draft capital to acquire him. Achane would likely be looking for a contract extension as soon as next season, as his rookie deal expires in 2026.
Perhaps at age 24, that’s a risk the Packers are willing to take. But the Packers may have a cheaper option at home in Emmanuel Wilson. Wilson has run for 101 scoreless yards on 24 carries this season, but was serviceable when called upon one year ago, with 502 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and 11 catches for 48 yards through the air.
While not as explosive as Achane, his performance gives Green Bay two solid running backs, leaving the third spot as the one that’s in question. The Packers were hoping that role would be filled by MarShawn Lloyd, but his inability to stay healthy has him on the trade block ahead of the deadline. If the Packers find a suitor, they’d need someone to take his place, which could be the perfect place for Williams to land a job.
Even if they don’t trade Lloyd, Williams could be a fit on the team’s practice squad, providing insurance in case injuries pile up down the stretch.
It’s not as exciting as landing Achane, but Williams fits the Packers’ current needs while giving them the flexibility to pursue a different option in the draft or free agency next spring.