The Green Bay Packers’ running game has been stuck in the mud through four games, and the numbers are ugly enough to force a hard look at outside help. With Josh Jacobs unavailable while he sits on the commissioner’s exempt list for his role in an alleged domestic dispute in the spring of 2026, Green Bay has leaned on a backfield that simply hasn’t produced.
MarShawn Lloyd was never brought in to carry the whole load, but that’s where he’s ended up. Drafted out of USC to give the offense a change of pace behind Jacobs, Lloyd has 30 carries for 81 yards.
The rest of the room hasn’t done much to lift him. Kaleb Johnson, acquired in a trade before the season, has 20 carries for 80 yards and also coughed up a costly fumble inside the five-yard line last weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Chris Brooks has 15 rushes for 70 yards, though he’s better known for his pass protection than his work as a runner.
Put it all together, and Green Bay has gotten 75 carries for 231 yards from that trio. That works out to a rough three yards per carry, and the Packers have felt it.
The offensive line hasn’t helped, either, with defenders living in the backfield and making it tough to get any kind of rhythm going on the ground. Still, the backs themselves haven’t done enough to change the picture.
That’s why Jamaal Williams is at least worth a look.
Williams, who recently worked out with the New England Patriots, is reportedly looking very good. He hasn’t played since the 2024 season with the New Orleans Saints, and even then his production was limited: 48 carries for 164 yards and a touchdown.
On paper, that doesn’t scream savior. But Green Bay may be at the point where it needs to check every possible option, especially with the team sitting at 2-2.
There’s also the obvious emotional fit. Williams would bring an immediate burst of energy to a locker room that could use it, and the Packers know him well. He once dubbed himself “1st Swagg Kazekage,” a nickname tied to his favorite anime, and that kind of personality would not go unnoticed in Green Bay.
The Packers drafted Williams with the 134th pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the team, he carried the ball 500 times for 1,985 yards and 10 touchdowns, mostly working as a complementary back.
Across eight NFL seasons, he has 1,069 carries for 4,122 yards and 32 touchdowns. For Green Bay, the appeal is simple: maybe he can help on the field, and maybe he can help lift the mood while doing it.
In Other News...
Packers Suddenly Have New Offensive Line Questions This Week
The Packers latest injury report brought a fresh layer of uncertainty to a group that has already been under the microscope, with four players listed as non-participants and both Chris Brooks and Aaron Banks among them. For a team trying to keep its offense on schedule, any week that adds turnover up front or in the backfield tends to draw immediate attention, especially as the practice week starts to take shape.
Savion Williams at least offered a bit of movement on the other side of the ledger, as he returned to practice and opened his 21-day window to come off injured reserve. The bigger issue now is how Green Bay manages the rest of the week while Chicago deals with its own long injury list, because the Packers preparation could hinge on which pieces are actually available when the division matchup gets closer. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Gives Packers Fans A Reason To Believe Before Bears Week
Jordan Love has given Green Bay something it has been waiting for at the most important position on the field: steady, efficient quarterback play. As the NFC North turns toward Week 5, the Packers are watching a division landscape shaped by uneven quarterback performances, with Minnesota winning despite Kyler Murrays struggles and Chicago leaning on Tyson Bagent as part of an offense that has found ways to function. In that mix, Loves improved efficiency stands out as a reason Packers fans can believe the offense is moving in the right direction.
The timing matters because the Bears are not just surviving on offense, they have had real success doing it, which makes this week a useful measuring stick for Green Bay. Minnesotas formula has been built more on defense than quarterback production, while Murray is still auditioning for the long-term contract questions hanging over him. Love does not have to settle every debate in one Sunday, but he does need to keep showing that the Packers have stability where their division rivals still have uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Keep Winning Ugly And A Bigger Problem Is Emerging
The Packers found a way to beat the Buccaneers in a game that looked more like a survival test than a clean win, with offense hard to come by and flags flying throughout. It fit a recent pattern for Green Bay, which has been grinding through games with enough edge to keep winning, even if the performance has not looked as polished as the record suggests.
Green Bays bigger issue is starting to show up in the details that can sink a team once the schedule tightens. The Packers lead the league in penalties and are on pace to set a record for most penalties in a season, a trend that gets harder to dismiss with several strong opponents ahead. Winning ugly can work for a while, but the margin for error figures to shrink quickly if the fouls keep piling up. [Read more 🡒]