The Packers’ backfield picture has gotten shaky enough that a trade starts to make real sense.
Josh Jacobs is dealing with legal uncertainty that could end in a suspension, MarShawn Lloyd has appeared in just one NFL game, and Chris Brooks is the only other running back on the roster who looks like a real option. That’s a thin cushion for Green Bay, especially with GM Brian Gutekunst still waiting on Lloyd to become the player the team hoped he could be.
One mock trade idea would send Cardinals running back Trey Benson to Green Bay, and the setup is hard to miss: Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur are brothers, which gives the two teams a natural connection if they want to work something out.
FanSided’s Zachary Rotman named Benson one of 20 players who could be traded before Week 1 and pointed to the Packers as the best fit.
"[Arizona] drafted Jeremiyah Love and signed Tyler Allgeier in free agency, adding those backs to a room that already had James Conner and Trey Benson in it. Benson has always had a good amount of upside if healthy.
[...] The Green Bay Packers...are dealing with uncertainty in their running back room.
Josh Jacobs is dealing with issues off the field, and MarShawn Lloyd has just one NFL game under his belt. Benson gives them much-needed depth at the running back position."
The trade idea was written before Mike LaFleur’s decision to give No. 3 overall pick Jeremiyah Love 14 touches in a preseason game, which resulted in a high-ankle sprain. Even so, the logic still holds: Arizona has more backs than it can reasonably feed, while Green Bay needs another reliable body in the room.
Benson comes with his own injury history - a torn ACL in 2020, an ankle injury as an NFL rookie, and a meniscus injury last year - but when he has been on the field, he’s been productive. He has averaged 4.9 yards per carry on 92 carries, which would make him a useful insurance option if Jacobs misses time or a solid No. 2 if Green Bay wants to keep him in that role.
There’s also reason to believe Benson could look even better in Green Bay than he has in Arizona. He entered the NFL as the 66th overall pick in 2024, ran a 4.39 40-yard dash coming out of Florida State, and brings more explosiveness than Jacobs and Lloyd, along with better size at 6-foot, 225 pounds.
The fit would also benefit from the coaching overlap. Benson is learning one LaFleur system now, and the Packers could offer another with familiar terminology.
From a roster-building standpoint, the case is straightforward: Green Bay needs help, and Arizona could use draft capital. That’s why this kind of deal makes sense for both sides.
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