The Green Bay Packers have their eyes on a former Chicago Bears running back as a potential roster addition just days before their 2026 season opener.
According to the NFL’s transaction wire for September 9, the Packers hosted former Bears running back Ian Wheeler on Tuesday as part of a seven-player workout group.
Wheeler spent his first two NFL offseasons with the Bears, making a strong case for a 53-man roster spot as a UDFA in 2024 before a preseason ACL tear ended his season prematurely. While he returned to compete again in 2025, the Bears opted to move on during last year’s roster cuts amid the emergence of then-rookie Kyle Monangai.
The Packers may want more running back depth in the weeks ahead as they chart a course without starter Josh Jacobs, who is on the commissioner’s exempt list while his court case plays out in Wisconsin. Jacobs is facing two misdemeanor charges that stem from an alleged domestic abuse incident that took place at his home in May 2026.
Ian Wheeler Could Bolster Packers’ Week 1 Practice Squad
Wheeler’s name on the tryouts list catches the eye due to his former connection to the Bears, but the 24-year-old running back has more on his resume than a short two-offseason stint with Green Bay’s biggest rival.
Back in the spring, Wheeler put some real football on tape again with the Louisville Kings in the UFL, putting up the fourth-most rushing yards (370) and second-most rushing touchdowns (six) over nine games. He was also just one of three UFL running backs to average more than 5 yards per carry while rushing at least 50 times.
Wheeler also logged competent preseason action with the Buffalo Bills in August, rushing 30 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns and catching all four of his targets for 30 receiving yards in three games before missing their 53-man roster cut.
The Packers don’t necessarily need more running back depth on their active roster with MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and new trade acquisition Kaleb Johnson available for Week 1. That said, they have only one other running back — Pierre Strong Jr. — on their practice squad, leaving room for another back to shore up the group.
Will Packers Rely on RB Committee Without Josh Jacobs?
The Packers are operating under the assumption that they won’t have Jacobs available for Week 1’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, even after the courts moved up his initial hearing from November 17 to September 10.
Will they lean heavily on a committee of backs against the Vikings, though?
Lloyd is the presumptive starter for the Packers in Week 1, but the 2024 third-round pick has more hype than on-field results following him into the matchup. He has carried the ball just six total times for the Packers over his first two seasons, missing most of that time with a myriad of injuries.
The problem is that neither of the Packers’ other two backs is more accomplished.
Brooks has spent three seasons with the Packers, but he has done more special teams work than carrying the ball and sits at just 395 career rushing yards. Meanwhile, Johnson went from a hyped third-round pick for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 to an offloaded trade asset in just one year, calling his capabilities into question.
The Packers will kick off against the Vikings at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 13.
Packers Host Ex-Bears RB for Workout Days Before Vikings Game