With plenty of uncertainty surrounding Josh Jacobs‘ off-field situation, the Green Bay Packers may have to pivot and add at a position they thought they had covered. Internally, there are options to try to make up for Jacobs’ production, but they range from kinda risky to wildly unproven.
Here are a few outside options they should consider, starting with free agents.
Green Bay’s free agent options
Joe Mixon and Najee Harris have name recognition, but both carry significant uncertainty after last season.
Mixon missed all of last year with a foot injury that was never fully explained. Mixon will be 30 in July, which is usually a benchmark age the Packers avoid in free agency. However, they have shown more flexibility in that department this offseason. Still, running backs notoriously age faster in the NFL, and Mixon hasn’t played a single snap since 2024.
Then there’s Harris, who signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers last offseason and suffered a season-ending Achilles injury after just three games. Achilles injuries are no joke, and Harris was already in line to be nothing more than a reserve for the Chargers even had he stayed healthy. His availability timeline for 2026 won’t be clear until later this summer. Still, reports have stated Harris intends to be ready for Week 1 should a team come calling.
There are significant risks in signing either Mixon or Harris. They are the two most recognizable names on the market, but there’s a reason both remain free agents this late in the offseason.
If the Packers don’t go that route, the trade market would offer some fascinating options that are also much more plausible.
They also have viable trade options
The Arizona Cardinals used the No. 3-overall pick on Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. Teams don’t use the No. 3 pick on a running back unless they intend on that player being the focal point of their backfield for years to come.
Behind Love is Tyler Allgeier, who just signed a two-year deal with the Cardinals earlier in the offseason. The Atlanta Falcons drafted Allgeier in the fifth round in 2022. However, they relegated him to the No. 2 role the following season after they drafted Bijan Robinson No. 8 overall. Now, Allgeier has landed in an almost identical spot in Arizona.
The Cardinals also have Trey Benson on the roster, as well as veteran James Conner. However, Conner just turned 31 and is coming off a devastating foot injury last September that ended his 2025 season after just three games.
Odds are Arizona won’t carry all four of those running backs on the final roster, and Love is an absolute lock. Of the remaining trio, Allgeier would be the best addition for the Packers.
Allgeier has been extremely consistent throughout his four-year career. Even after being the Robin to Robinson’s Batman yet again last year, Allgeier still racked up 514 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns in 2025. He’s also been extremely durable, playing in all 17 games each of the last three seasons.
At age 26, Allgeier is in the prime of his career and might just need an opportunity with a bigger role to prove his true worth. If Jacobs is out of the picture for a significant amount of time in 2026, Allgeier could fit perfectly.
Conner would be a trade candidate with an eye towards just contributing in 2026, and a trade for Benson would signal more of a filler piece than anything else. In any case, it’s worth monitoring Arizona’s running back room if Jacobs misses time.
One other fascinating name to keep tabs on is Alvin Kamara. The New Orleans Saints handed over a fat, four-year, $52 million deal with $24 million guaranteed to running back Travis Etienne this offseason. That could leave Kamara as the odd man out.
With a potential $14 million in savings if New Orleans were to cut Kamara post-June 1, it might just be the move to make. If the Saints don’t release Kamara, they could be giddy to collect a late-round future draft pick for the veteran pick now that Etienne is primed to take over top-dog status in New Orleans’ backfield. Green Bay could pick up the phone and make that offer, and both sides would benefit.
