Green Bay Packers running back Kaleb Johnson went from being active but not seeing a single offensive snap in Week 1 to leading the team in carries and yards. He only had eight rushes for 32 yards and was tied with MarShawn Lloyd for second-most offensive snaps behind Chris Brooks, who led the way.
Still, head coach Matt LaFleur noted that Johnson handled himself well and should be getting more opportunities moving forward.
“I thought there was some good stuff,” said LaFleur of the game that Johnson played. “You start off overtime, and he rips off a 12-yard run or something like that off the left side. I thought he is a very good outside zone runner and just a natural runner.
LaFleur noted that he has some things he needs to clean up overall. Still, the team has seen him progress since his addition, and he might get more work in the future.
“We’ll continue to work with him,” said LaFleur. “Obviously, there are some things we can clean up, but I think he’s getting more comfortable with our offense, with our terminology, with protection schemes. So he’ll probably earn more opportunities.”
Johnson went from zero snaps to 16 from Week 1 to Week 2. It will be interesting to see how much more he is used in the coming weeks.
Green Bay Packers RB Kaleb Johnson is Earning More Opportunity
The Packers traded for Johnson a couple of weeks before the season. So, it was going to take him some time before he was fully integrated into the offense. This was a natural progression. The question was whether Johnson was going to be able to earn these chances. Now that he is getting them, it is hard to see him giving them back.
Johnson was put in the doghouse by the Steelers early into his NFL career. Then, a new coaching staff came in, and he did not quite fit the scheme. As LaFleur noted, he is a much better fit for his scheme than what Mike McCarthy and the Packers run.
It might have taken a couple of weeks, but Johnson was always the best fit for the Packers of the three runners.
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MarShawn Lloyd is entering his third NFL season, and the first two weeks of the 2026 season are the most consistent level of play he has strung together in his NFL career. Still, this has led to just 19 rushes for 57 yards.
Brooks plays so much because he is the Packers’ best passing down back, and the Packers throw the football so often. However, he played just four rushing snaps in Week 2 and has just 12 snaps when the Packers run the football this season. Johnson had ten snaps on running downs in Week 2.
So, it is clear that when Johnson is ready to roll, they see him as their best option on the ground. The split was pretty even this week, but should continue to lean to Johnson moving forward.
Matt LaFleur Teases More Opportunity for Packers’ Emerging RB