GREEN BAY, Wis. — There’s an opportunity to be seized in the Green Bay Packers’ backfield right now, and a new candidate will join the carousel this weekend.
The Packers signed Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Thursday, clustering him into a four-man stable with no clear frontrunner. They had no choice but to promote Strong—they were down to just two healthy running backs with Chris Brooks nursing an ankle injury.
Brooks exited the Packers’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday after he limped off the field to the sideline. He’s missed three consecutive days of practice, and the team’s decision to dedicate a roster spot to Strong serves as an indication that Brooks will miss Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
In his third season in Green Bay, Brooks has cemented himself as a quality pass-protecting tailback, but the Packers have leaned on him to shoulder their ground game at times, too. Before exiting with his aforementioned injury, Brooks scampered upfield for a 27-yard run, which, at the time, was the Packers’ longest of the season. Newcomer Kaleb Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers during cut-downs in August, later ripped off a 27-yard carry.
Barring anything unforeseen, Johnson and MarShawn Lloyd will lead the Packers’ rushing attack against the Bears. That isn’t to say Strong won’t see the field for his first bit of playing time since the 2024 regular-season finale.
“He’s done a great job ever since he got here,” said head coach Matt LaFleur on Friday. “He helps on special teams as well. He’s a natural runner; he’s got experience—he’s been in this league a while now, although he has limited game action.
“If given the opportunity, I think he’ll be ready to go.”
A fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots, Strong never truly became a mainstay in their backfield. He spent his rookie season rounding out the depth chart behind Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris before being traded to the Cleveland Browns in the summer of 2023.
Strong spent two seasons in Cleveland, but it was more of the same. He played in a rotation behind the likes of Jerome Ford, Nick Chubb, and D’Onta Foreman, rushing just 89 times for 399 yards and a touchdown in that span. Strong also caught 19 passes for 151 yards.
After spending the entirety of the 2025 campaign on the Packers’ practice squad, Strong, at long last, is going to have the chance to leave his mark in Green Bay. They’ve already seen flashes of what he’s capable of in their offense. Strong ran 15 times for 58 yards in the preseason this past summer, and his 3.9 average yards per carry was the highest on the team, narrowly eclipsing Jaden Nixon and Damien Martinez.
Strong—or any of the Packers’ running backs, for that matter—prospering will be dependent on much more than whether or not he’s able to use his legs, however. The Packers have been the worst rushing team in the league through the first month of the season, and a new ball carrier won’t alleviate just how ghastly they’ve been. Only the Las Vegas Raiders (3.1) average fewer yards per carry than the Packers (32), but they’re No. 32 in both overall rushing attempts and total rushing yards.
The offensive line takes the brunt of the blame for that. The Packers have utilized four different starting combinations in as many games to begin the season, throwing any sense of continuity amongst their No. 1 unit out the window. An onslaught of injuries and downright poor play have been contributing factors to that.
A fifth combination is on the horizon, too, with Kevin Zeitler—signed last Wednesday—projected to take over the right guard spot. Between Zeitler and Laken Tomlinson—signed two days earlier—at left guard, the Packers are hoping that their interior will no longer require much shuffling, if any at all.
With stability along the offensive line that the Packers have been so desperate for this season, the expectation is that the overall outlook of the offense will improve. If they can pave lanes for a successful running game, that will catapult into a successful passing game and, in turn, keep Jordan Love upright.
Zachary Jacobson is the author of The Packer Dispatch. He is entering his 12th season covering the Green Bay Packers after spending seven as the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zachjacobson or contact him via email at itszachariahj@gmail.com.