The Green Bay Packers’ running back situation is totally unsettled right now, and it just got even messier in Week 2 with Kaleb Johnson officially joining the committee. With Josh Jacobs out on the commissioner exempt list, Green Bay is splitting touches three ways between Johnson, MarShawn Lloyd, and Chris Brooks, trying desperately to find a consistent answer at the position. Who’s stepping up and who’s tripping? It’s a total question mark.
MarShawn Lloyd’s Rough Week 2
MarShawn Lloyd looked like the guy early on, leading the team with 19 carries and 57 rushing yards for a 3.0 yards per carry average. But man, Week 2 against the New York Jets was a gut punch. Lloyd played the same amount of snaps as Johnson, tying him for second, or actually, *last* among the backs that game. And the reason? He fumbled on a drive starter, which basically gift-wrapped an easy field goal for the Jets. After that, he didn’t get another single carry. You gotta wonder what that does to your confidence, and the coaching staff’s trust.
Chris Brooks: The Silent Workhorse?
Then you’ve got Chris Brooks, who is actually leading all the Packers running backs in snaps this season with 59. That’s 15 more than Lloyd and a whopping 45 more than Johnson! So he’s on the field a ton, right? Except he’s only carrying the ball on 19 percent of his plays. Compare that to Lloyd’s 43 percent and Johnson’s 57 percent, and you see the picture. Brooks is mostly out there as a pass protector, a play-action decoy, or running routes. He’s doing the dirty work, but he’s not getting the rock, and that’s a tough look when you’re trying to find a bell-cow back.
Kaleb Johnson’s Sudden Emergence
Kaleb Johnson came out of nowhere in Week 2. He didn’t play a single snap in Week 1, but then he got 14 snaps in Week 2, only behind Brooks’ 22. He really started getting a lot of work later in the game, especially after Lloyd got benched following his fumble. Here’s the wild part: Johnson also coughed up the ball, but his fumble wasn’t recovered by the Jets. Lucky break, for sure. So now, this backfield is a total rotation, and it feels like whoever can hold onto the ball and produce is gonna get the shot.
This whole situation is a massive question mark for Green Bay, and it seems like the committee approach is here to stay until someone grabs the job and runs with it. With Lloyd’s fumble and Johnson’s emergence, it’s anyone’s guess who gets the most opportunities moving forward. They need an answer, and they need one fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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