Green Bay came out of its season opener with a problem that’s hard to ignore: the Packers need more from their run game, and Kaleb Johnson is sitting right there.
Johnson was on the field for kickoff returns Sunday, which made his role - or lack of one - even more notable after that. He didn’t get the backfield work plenty of fans expected, then watched the rest of the game unfold from the sideline while MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks handled the carries.
That approach made little sense on paper. The Packers don’t want to overwork Lloyd, especially with his injury history, and Brooks has usually been more of a blocker and receiver than a featured runner.
Josh Jacobs, meanwhile, remains on the commissioner’s exempt list. So when the game plan against Minnesota leaned away from Johnson entirely, it stood out.
The results didn’t help. Brian Flores and the Vikings attacked with an all-in pass rush, and Green Bay never found enough dynamic production on the ground to force them out of it.
Lloyd and Brooks combined for 66 yards on 20 carries, but that kind of output is hard to lean on when defenders are living in the backfield. Lloyd finished with 13 carries for 37 yards.
There’s a simple case for giving Johnson a shot: the Packers have already invested in him. Green Bay traded a draft pick to get him, sending the Steelers a 2028 seventh-rounder. That’s not the kind of move you make just to keep a player on ice.
Johnson brings a power-back profile that could help if the line continues to struggle. He led the Big Ten as an Iowa senior with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns before being drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round. Of course, that production came behind an Iowa offensive line loaded with NFL talent, which is not what the Packers put on tape Sunday.
There’s also the possibility that Johnson simply wasn’t ready to handle the playbook yet, which could explain why he didn’t get regular touches. But with none of the options in the room looking especially electric, a committee approach feels like the most practical way to squeeze more out of the position.
Johnson’s numbers last season weren’t eye-popping - 2.5 yards per carry on 28 attempts - but the Packers may not need him to be flashy. They just need another back who can take some of the punishment off Lloyd and give Jordan Love a little more balance than the 45-to-21 pass-to-run split that came out of a game script spiraling against Minnesota.
If Johnson knows the plays, Green Bay may as well use him.
In Other News...
Javon Hargrave Already Has Packers Fans Worried About His Role
Javon Hargraves first game in Green Bay gave Packers fans plenty to monitor along the defensive front. In Week 1, he played 30 snaps, finished with one tackle and did not register a pressure, while the Packers leaned on a by-committee rotation across the defensive line. Karl Brooks got the start at defensive end over Hargrave, which added another wrinkle to a unit still sorting out how it wants to deploy its pieces.
For a player brought in with bigger expectations, the opening usage looked more restrained than many around the team probably imagined. It is still far too early to make any firm judgments, but the snap count and the way Green Bay distributed work up front suggest Hargrave may have a more limited role than expected unless the rotation shifts in the weeks ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Sent A Clear Message About O-Line Depth
The Packers added another piece to their offensive line room this week, signing Cordell Volson to the practice squad after he worked out with the team. Volson arrives with NFL experience after originally being drafted by the Bengals, and he spent part of this offseason with the Titans before not making their final roster.
Green Bay has been active in using the practice squad to build depth with outside additions, and Volsons signing is part of that wider approach. For a team that has spent the season keeping an eye on its protection options, every extra lineman on hand matters, especially when the front office is clearly making sure there are workable answers if the need arises. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Already Has Packers Fans Debating One Week 1 Problem
Week 1 brought an early quarterback sorting exercise in the NFC North, and Jordan Love landed in the middle of the conversation for all the usual reasons. The Packers quarterback put up plenty of yardage even while dealing with pressure, but the kind of up-and-down start that can define an opening game still left people weighing the good against the bad. In a division where every quarterback performance gets scrutinized quickly, Loves debut did enough to keep Green Bay fans talking.
The broader ranking also had plenty of moving parts, from Carson Wentz making an effective relief appearance for the Vikings to Jared Goff turning in a mixed outing for the Lions and Caleb Williams getting off to a strong start for the Bears. The list is meant to be fluid and shaped by both recent play and career body of work, which is why Loves spot feels more like an early checkpoint than a verdict. For Packers fans, the question now is whether the Week 1 pressure points were just an opening hiccup or the first sign of something more familiar. [Read more 🡒]