The Green Bay Packers won’t have their starting workhorse RB in the backfield against the Vikings today, but the most trusted option might be the least heralded name in the room.
CBS Sports sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson offered a glimpse at how Green Bay may divide the work against the Minnesota Vikings with Josh Jacobs unavailable.
Wolfson wrote on X that MarShawn Lloyd is expected to have a “big role” and that the Packers love his explosiveness, though his injury history is something to manage.
Then came the more intriguing nugget when Wolfson revealed the Packers trust Chris Brooks the most against Brian Flores’ defense because of his blocking ability. She added that newly acquired Kaleb Johnson is still getting up to speed.
That makes Brooks, a 6-foot-1, 219-pound former undrafted free agent, a player to watch closely in a matchup where protecting Jordan Love may have as much value as producing on the ground.
Brooks’ Blocking Provides an Answer for Flores
Brooks has never been a volume runner in Green Bay. His value has come from doing a little of everything, and his work without the football has earned praise inside the building.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur gave perhaps the most intelligible assessment of Brooks’ game in August 2025. Via the Packers’ official website, LaFleur called Brooks “a hell of a protector” while also commending his hands and versatility out of the backfield.
That skill set becomes notably relevant against Flores. Minnesota’s pressure packages have consistently created protection problems for opposing offenses. The Vikings outlined the aggressive nature of Flores’ scheme ahead of Week 1, including the stress it places on quarterbacks and blockers before the snap.
Green Bay may need its backs to sort through those pressure looks and keep Love clean.
Wolfson’s read, therefore, alludes to a role that may be larger than Brooks’ rushing totals indicate. He carried 27 times for 106 yards last season and added 13 catches for 91 yards in all 17 games.
Brooks’ value showed up elsewhere. His official Packers biography credits him with a career-high 14 special-teams tackles in 2025, tied for the team lead and the most by a Green Bay running back or fullback since 2003.
Packers Have Options With Jacobs Out
Jacobs’ absence has forced Green Bay to rework a position that had a set-in-stone pecking order when he was available. The NFL placed Jacobs on the commissioner’s exempt list on Aug. 30, meaning he cannot practice or attend games while he remains on it, per NFL.com.
The Packers enter Week 1 with Lloyd, Brooks and Johnson on the active roster. Lloyd has the most obvious upside as a runner, and Wolfson’s report indicates Green Bay plans to give him purposeful work. His availability has been a recurring issue, though, which may prevent the Packers from simply handing him Jacobs’ usual workload.
Johnson gives Green Bay another bigger-bodied option after arriving in a trade with Pittsburgh shortly before the season. The 224-pound back was a third-round pick in 2025, with NFL.com detailing the trade after Jacobs went to the exempt list.
Green Bay originally signed Brooks to the practice squad in September 2024 after he entered the league as an undrafted free agent with Miami. He was promoted to the active roster two weeks later, according to the Packers’ announcement at the time, and has remained a steady presence since.
His career rushing numbers — 395 yards on 82 carries — won’t draw much attention entering Sunday.
His assignment against Flores might.
Presuming Wolfson’s read is accurate, Green Bay’s most trusted back in protection could become one of the offense’s quiet keys in Minnesota.
Packers’ 219-Pound RB Emerges as Trusted Option With Josh Jacobs Out