As Green Bay keeps searching for answers on the ground, Derrick Henry has surfaced as a name worth watching.
The Packers are keeping tabs on the running back market, and Josh Jacobs hasn’t exactly solved the problem since returning. He did score twice in his latest outing, but the production underneath the touchdowns was thin: just 39 yards on 21 carries and a 1.9-yard average per attempt.
That leaves a bigger question hanging over Green Bay’s offense: can any back really thrive behind this line? A player like Saquon Barkley would seem built for that kind of challenge, but Henry is the other obvious name in the mix.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano said Henry is a player to monitor, particularly if the Baltimore Ravens lose in Week 9. Still, Baltimore’s recent trade for quarterback Jacoby Brissett suggests the team isn’t ready to start unloading pieces just yet.
If Henry did become available, he’d likely come cheaper than Barkley or Jonathan Taylor. The real issue for Green Bay is whether the fit makes sense.
Henry is 32, which puts him in a different category than Taylor, who is 27, and Barkley, who is 29. That age gap matters, but so does what Henry still brings. He ran all over this Packers defense last season, a reminder that there’s still plenty left in his legs.
And even now, the numbers say he’s still producing. Henry leads the league with 158 carries, has turned them into 632 yards, and is tied for third in touchdowns with eight. His 4.0 yards per carry would be a welcome sight for a Packers team that hasn’t come close to that level on the ground this year.
At the same time, there are warning signs. The No. 35 overall pick in the 2016 draft has been held to 58 yards or fewer in each of his last three games, a sharp drop after opening the season with back-to-back 100-yard performances. If Green Bay is serious about making a move, that recent dip has to be part of the conversation.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Is At The Center Of A Heated NFC North Debate
Through the first eight weeks, the NFC North has turned into a quarterback debate with no easy answer, and Jordan Love has made sure Green Bay is part of the conversation. While the division has been judged through the lens of touchdown passes, sack rates and passer ratings, Loves play has stood out even as the Packers have dealt with their own team-wide challenges around him.
The bigger question is how much weight to give the numbers when the division is so tightly packed with different styles of success. Caleb Williams has brought strong play to Chicago, Jared Goff has been efficient in Detroit, and even the struggles tied to Kyler Murray have shaped the discussion, but Loves case keeps growing because he has delivered at a high level despite the circumstances. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Loves Latest Joke Will Hit Home For Frustrated Packers Fans
With the Packers sitting at 5-3 and trying to climb out of fourth place in the NFC North, Jordan Love found a little off-field comic relief this week. Love and his wife leaned into Halloween with a costume that poked fun at blind NFL referees, and the clip made its way to Matt LaFleur, who at least appreciated the joke.
It was the kind of light moment that can land differently when a fan base is already feeling the strain of an uneven start. Love has still put together a solid season through the air, but Green Bays margin for error remains slim, and even a harmless Halloween bit carries a little extra edge when every call and every result seems to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Kicking Problem Just Put Matt LaFleur In A Tough Spot
Special teams has become a real pressure point in Green Bay, and Trey Smacks uneven season is forcing the conversation into the open. Through eight games, the kicker has missed more kicks than anyone else in the league, with the kind of inconsistency that can quickly turn a routine drive into a problem for a team trying to stay on schedule.
Matt LaFleur addressed the situation in a recent media availability and made it clear the Packers are sticking with Smack for now. The coach said the team appreciates his resilience, a notable vote of confidence for a player who has still connected on 11 of 16 field goals and 16 of 19 extra points, even as the margin for error keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]