The Green Bay Packers have almost every box checked off entering training camp, at least when it comes to the offense.
Jordan Love is QB1 and the franchise signal caller. The formidable trio of Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and Jayden Reed will lead a pared-down wide receiver group. Tight end Tucker Kraft has a goal set in place to be ready for Week 1 with no pitch count needed as he recovers from a torn ACL. On the offensive line, maybe a dark horse option like Jager Burton pushes for a starting spot, but otherwise the starting five is firmly in place up front with Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton, and Zach Tom.
Then there’s the running back fiasco.
Josh Jacobs still has a pending off-the-field issue after a domestic violence accusation was raised against him, and the timeline on any potential resolution for this is unknown. While no criminal charges have been filed, that could change, and the NFL could have its own say with its own investigation.
One has to imagine that the Packers have more insight into what did or didn’t occur, at least from Jacobs’ side of things. If they’d seen substantial evidence against Jacobs yet, it’s hard to imagine Green Bay let him on the practice field recently and going about business as usual.
The Detroit Lions just went through something similar with cornerback Terrion Arnold, although the big difference is eight criminal charges have already been filed. The Lions wasted no time in releasing Arnold.
That hasn’t happened in Jacobs’ case, at least not yet. It’s entirely possible that a league investigation wouldn’t have anything finalized until next year.
For now, the Packers have Jacobs on the roster. If that remains the status quo, a lot of questions about the running back group go away … but not all of them.
Emanuel Wilson‘s exit to Seattle in free agency will have a far bigger impact if MarShawn Lloyd once again doesn’t stay healthy. By all appearances he’s doing just fine so far this offseason, but it’s hard to expect the pattern not to repeat itself, at least until we see some evidence to the contrary during regular-season football.
In a perfect world, Jacobs is deemed innocent of any wrongdoing and is the workhorse the Packers need him to be in 2026, while Lloyd finally stays clear of any injuries and proves his worth as a former third-round pick. But rarely does the world work out perfectly, and Green Bay doesn’t have much of a fall-back plan if Jacobs and/or Lloyd end up sidelined for one reason or another.
Chris Brooks was re-signed on a two-year deal, but he’s best suited as an RB3 who also contributes on special teams. Stretching that role out into RB2 with significant carries might not work out, with a reliable rotational piece transformed into a liability as a starter.
Given Wilson’s value as an RB2 who can step up when needed, letting him go could come back to haunt the Packers. If he was still on the roster, the running back room would at least have an identifiable floor, one you could live with. Instead, the Packers are left crossing their fingers.
There are other gray areas on the roster. What Green Bay does at edge rusher given that Micah Parsons is potentially out for half the year and is a significant concern. Even after drafting Brandon Cisse and Domani Jackson and signing veteran Benjamin St-Juste, the cornerback room is one big open question. Is anyone among them, or Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine, a true No. 1? Will Trey Smack help the team finally get consistency from special teams?
Those are all fair question, but no other spot on the roster looks like such a potentially slippery slope into calamity. At this point, the Packers have done what they can — or rather they’ll have to live with what they did as they monitor several scenarios that are largely out of their hands. At best, it’s a matter of patience. At worst, it’s pure hope.
