The Green Bay Packers will have some significant roster decisions to make next offseason. Quay Walker, Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, Romeo Doubs, and Kingsley Enagbare — all of whom have spent time as starters — are slated to be unrestricted free agents in 2026. With Over the Cap projecting a little more than $10.2 million in cap space for Green Bay next year, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to bring everyone back.
Green Bay will let Russ Ball work his magic. Still, it will be almost impossible to keep the entire core together, especially with potential future extensions looming for Tucker Kraft, Christian Watson, and Jayden Reed. Still, there’s another player who will also be a free agent next year, an underrated member of the roster whom the Packers should seriously consider bringing back: Emanuel Wilson.
Emanuel Wilson went undrafted out of Fort Valley State in 2023. The Denver Broncos signed him as a free agent in May but waived him three days later. Later that month, he signed with the Packers and made the 53-man roster in August.
He was fourth on the team in carries as a rookie in 2023 and saw his role grow the following season, logging 106 rushing attempts for 508 yards and four touchdowns in 2024. That production helped solidify his place in the backfield rotation heading into 2025.
Wilson had a breakout game on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. He earned his first career start and delivered 107 yards on 28 carries with a pair of touchdowns. Wilson’s 107-yard, two-TD performance puts him in an exclusive club. He’s just the second Packer since the 1970 merger to post 100-plus rushing yards and multiple rushing scores in his first NFL start. After going without a touchdown through the first 10 weeks, he now has three in the last game and a half, including the first two-touchdown outing of his career.
“He came out with a chip on his shoulder and something to continue to prove,” Christian Watson noted post-game. “He did everything we asked of him. Props to him, he was out there balling.”
Ninety-four of Wilson’s 107 yards against the Vikings came after first contact, which is completely absurd. He had only 13 yards before contact and still found a way to finish with over 100 yards. His runs aren’t always pretty, but he consistently breaks the first — and often the second — tackle attempt whenever he touches the ball. He’s simply awesome to watch.
“I just kept it the same,” Wilson said after the game. “I approached it today just like it’s another game. This is my first start since, what, college, so I just tried to go out there and take advantage of it.”
Josh Jacobs turns 28 in February. Although the EPA numbers won’t show it, he’s still one of the best running backs in the league. However, he’s also approaching the age where running backs typically decline. They take constant punishment, and wear-and-tear usually catches up fast. He needs a reliable complement. While Chris Brooks has been excellent in pass protection, Wilson is the more physical runner and fits Jacobs’ style far better.
Ty Johnson and the Buffalo Bills agreed to a two-year, $5 million deal in March, and that contract could serve as a baseline for the Packers in any future extension talks with Emanuel Wilson. He won’t be expensive. And that’s the beauty of it — you’re keeping a tough, reliable, tone-setting runner without straining the cap.
