The Green Bay Packers made some tough calls on roster cutdown day. That’s usually the sign of a deep, competitive roster, but it also leaves a few players hanging on by a thread. One of the biggest storylines comes in the running back room, where depth and health continue to complicate things.
At the top, the Packers are set. Josh Jacobs enters his second season in Green Bay after proving his doubters wrong.
Last offseason, general manager Brian Gutekunst inked him to a four-year, $48 million deal, a move that many critics immediately panned. Jacobs was coming off the worst statistical season of his career with the Raiders, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and looking like he’d lost his burst.
Instead, Jacobs rediscovered his form behind a Packers offensive line that put the Raiders to shame. He rushed for 1,329 yards—the second-highest total of his career—and scored a career-best 15 touchdowns.
His contract will get heavier in the coming years, with his cap hit jumping from $5.4 million in 2024 to $11.3 million in 2025 and eventually all the way up to $16.6 million in 2027. Still, the Packers have flexibility with potential restructures or outs, and Jacobs looks every bit like the featured back they paid for.
The long-term heir to Jacobs is supposed to be Marshawn Lloyd, the team’s third-round pick in 2024. But so far, injuries have kept that plan on ice.
Lloyd’s rookie season was derailed by lower-body injuries and an emergency appendectomy, limiting him to just one game. Now, he’s back on the injured reserve list with a hamstring issue, keeping him sidelined for at least the first four weeks of 2025.
That opened the door for both Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson to crack the initial 53-man roster.
Brooks, while not as explosive, carved out a role with his physical running style, pass protection, and special teams value—traits that coaches love when filling out the bottom of the roster.
Wilson, on the other hand, made it again thanks to his production as a runner.
Wilson has been efficient in his two seasons with the Packers, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He runs hard and can create chunk plays.
But despite that success, his roster spot is still anything but secure. He’s clearly behind Jacobs and Lloyd in talent, and Brooks’ well-rounded skill set makes him the safer bet to stick as the third running back.
The Packers also remain high on Amar Johnson and Israel Abanikanda, two young backs who were cut but are prime candidates for the practice squad. If either one impresses in practice, it could make Wilson’s margin for error razor thin.
That leaves Wilson on the thinnest of ice. He may have survived cutdown day, but he’ll need to use the first month of the season to show coaches he brings more than just downhill running.
If he can’t expand his role on special teams or in pass protection, his days in Green Bay could be numbered once Lloyd is ready to return.