The Green Bay Packers are in a weird spot with their running back room. Josh Jacobs was arrested last Tuesday on multiple charges tied to an alleged domestic violence incident, though prosecutors have not filed formal charges as the investigation remains ongoing. Behind him, MarShawn Lloyd has struggled to stay healthy since entering the league and reportedly sat out team drills on Thursday. With that, it’s somewhat reasonable to think Damien Martinez might have a shot to make the final roster.
We still need to see how the legal process involving Jacobs develops. However, if the allegations are proven true, Green Bay would likely move on from him entirely. Lloyd, meanwhile, is entering his third season and hasn’t been able to stay on the field.
Chris Brooks has value as a depth piece and third-string running back, but he is probably not someone the team wants playing a major role in the offense. That leaves Green Bay in a position where it may need to quickly reassess its long-term plans at running back, which is where Martinez could enter the picture as a potential roster option.
Martinez first made a name for himself at Oregon State, where he quickly became one of the most productive young running backs in the Pac-12. He was physical, hard to bring down, and consistently picked up extra yards after contact. After two productive seasons there, he transferred to Miami, where he continued to play the same brand of football for the Hurricanes.
Martinez entered the draft process as an interesting upside bet for teams looking to add a physical runner to their backfield. Notably, Dane Brugler of The Athletic viewed him as a player worthy of a mid-round selection.
Martinez uses his patience, physicality and balance to pick through contact. A sizable chunk (71%) of his 2024 yardage came after contact. Though he often finds the right lane, he is more of a one-speed guy and gives pursuit a chance to close on him. Overall, Martinez doesn’t have the burst or wiggle to consistently make defenders miss, but he can power through them and prides himself on his finishing ability to churn out positive yards. He can be a “dirty work” runner on an NFL depth chart.
That eventually led to the Seattle Seahawks selecting him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Shortly afterwards, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald praised Martinez’s physical style of play.
“I think you respect that about him, about guys that can run the ball physically, downhill,” Macdonald said. “Had a lot of great guys come through this building that have ran it like that. Just really excited about the guys we have on our roster. Come in and come kick butt with the rest of them. It’s going to be a great competition. But we’re really excited about him.”
Still, Martinez had a difficult time carving out a permanent role in Seattle. He did not make the initial 53-man roster, spent a short period on the practice squad, and was eventually released early in the season before later landing with Green Bay.
At the very least, Martinez is walking into a situation where there could actually be a path for him to carve out a role in Green Bay’s backfield. The Packers still have plenty to sort through at running back heading into 2026. While nothing is guaranteed, the competition over the summer should allow Martinez to prove he belongs on the roster.
