Green Bay just shook up their backfield, signing running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the 53-man roster right when they need him most. This move happened fast, driven by Chris Brooks potentially being sidelined with an ankle injury, leaving a major void, and some serious ball security issues from other guys on the squad.
Fumbles and Injuries: Why Strong Jr. Got the Call
Listen, Green Bay needed to make a move. Chris Brooks, even with only 10 snaps in that Oct. 4 game against Tampa Bay, has been a significant part of their backfield attack, playing 53% of the time. If he can’t go against the Chicago Bears on Oct. 11, that’s a huge gap to fill. But it wasn’t just Brooks’ ankle that pushed this. We saw it happen against the Buccaneers: running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson both fumbled the ball.
That’s rough, right? Especially for Johnson, who now has two lost fumbles on a mere 20 carries this season. You gotta think the coaching staff’s trust in him has taken a serious hit. With those kinds of numbers, you can bet they were scrambling for a reliable option. Strong Jr. from the practice squad? That’s what you call a timely promotion.
Who Is Pierre Strong Jr. and Can He Deliver?
So, who is this guy Pierre Strong Jr.? He’s not exactly new to the setup. He was with the team through training camp, so he should know the offense inside and out after spending last season mostly on their practice squad. He got elevated to the active roster three times last year but never actually played, so this is his real shot.
In preseason games this year, he carried the ball 15 times for 58 yards, and get this, he even busted out a 68-yard kickoff return. The dude’s got some juice! Strong Jr. was a former fourth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots in 2022. He even played 46 games for the Cleveland Browns in 2023, with one start under his belt. His career numbers look solid: 99 carries for 499 yards (that’s a sweet 5.0 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, plus 26 catches for 193 yards. He’s only got one lost fumble in his career, which is a big deal right now.
The team knew they couldn’t risk it either. They could have kept Strong on the practice squad and just elevated him for games, but with other teams dealing with running back injuries around the league, they didn’t want to lose him to someone else’s 53-man roster. This move locks him in.
What This Means for the Green Bay Backfield Ahead of the Bears Game
This signing brings Green Bay’s active roster to a full 53 players. They’d been sitting at 52 since defensive lineman Warren Brinson hit injured reserve on Oct. 3. While receiver Savion Williams, who has lined up at running back before, was designated to return from injured reserve on Oct. 7 and has that three-week practice window, signing Strong Jr. likely means they’re not rushing Williams back into the mix for a few more days. They also swapped out some linebackers, signing Jack Dingle to the practice squad and bringing Kristian Welch to the 53-man roster.
Bottom line? Green Bay needs a running back who can hold onto the ball and pick up some yards. All eyes will be on Pierre Strong Jr. when they face the Chicago Bears on Oct. 11. Can he step up and solidify that backfield?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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