Packers move Chris Brooks to injured reserve

This was foreshadowed a bit by the appearance of Pierre Strong Jr. on the roster. It’s unclear how the Packers will handle third-down reps between Strong, Kaleb Johnson, and MarShawn Lloyd on Sunday. Strong was on the field for 138 passes of his 192 snaps in 2024 with the Browns.

Matt LaFleur said earlier this morning that they were going to “give him another day and see where he’s at tomorrow and make a decision after that.” It sounds like there’s still a chance Brooks could play in Week 5, but he’ll likely be on the questionable line on Friday.

Brooks suffered the ankle injury in Week 4. He went down in the first half and did not return. Brooks underwent testing on his ankle after the game, though the exact nature of his injury has yet to be reported. He does appear to be on the wrong side of questionable for Week 5. If he can’t go, MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson will split the backfield. Johnson led the team in carries last week but also gave up a goal line fumble. We expect Lloyd to get the start versus Chicago on Sunday.

Brooks left the Packers’ Week 4 win over the Bucs with an ankle injury in the first half. He did not return after the break and LaFleur didn’t have any definitive answers about the injury on Monday. It sounds like his status for Week 5 is very much up in the air. After coughing up a goal line fumble, Kaleb Johnson would likely take a backseat to MarShawn Lloyd once again. Lloyd has some low-end RB3 appeal as the potential lead back, but this is ultimately a backfield to avoid for fantasy purposes if possible.

Brooks was third among the Packers’ three running backs in snaps and touches. That could change next week with Kaleb Johnson coughing up a goal line fumble in this game. Still, Brooks would only jump to RB2 on the depth chart. He is seeing enough work to remove most of the fantasy value from Johnson and Lloyd but doesn’t have much fantasy value of his own. Green Bay’s backfield remains a mess headed into Week 5.

He added one catch for 15 yards. While those stats are not impressive, Brooks also played on 24 of the team’s 53 snaps, which was the most of any Green Bay running back. After Marshawn Lloyd fumbled in the second half, it was Brooks who saw the next red zone carries and also Brooks who caught a crucial pass in overtime to set up the game-winning field goal. This has all the makings of a confusing committee, but Brooks needs to be on radars in deeper formats until Josh Jacobs returns.

Pelissero reminds us that Jacobs was “originally booked on five charges, including felony strangulation.” He now faces “reduced charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal damage to property.” The NFL continues to monitor all developments in the matter, which remains under review. Jacobs could end up being suspended. His backups are RB MarShawn Lloyd, who has performed well all spring and summer, and RB Chris Brooks. Lloyd should be a priority in drafts at this time. According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the police department’s full incident report indicates that the department is in possession of a video showing Jacobs striking a woman after throwing her to the ground.

Lloyd played on 5-of-7 snaps during the first drive, giving way to RB Chris Brooks for third- and fourth-and-inches. Lloyd looks fast and powerful and can be treated as a high-end bench stash with potential standalone value. His touchdown occurred on a nifty catch-and-run play over the middle. Starting RB Josh Jacobs (groin) did not play.

Matt LaFleur said Chris Brooks, who is currently on the NFI list, injured himself while training but is expected to return sooner rather than later. With both the first and the third running back out of commission, MarShawn Lloyd is going to get plenty of reps with the first-team offense. Having missed the bulk of his first two seasons, that’s exactly what the young runner needed. Even if Jacobs isn’t sidelined for long, Lloyd could carve out a small standalone role in his absence. Jacobs is still facing legal troubles as well. If the league were to suspend him at any point this year, Lloyd would be the next man up.

The exact nature of Brooks’ “injury” is unclear. He took part in the offseason program. It could be something as simple as he failed the Packers’ conditioning test. Brooks’ status wouldn’t normally be worth updating, but these are not normal times in the Pack’s backfield as we await word on Josh Jacobs’ legal situation. Were Jacobs to end up suspended, the Packers would have a low-upside jumble that would undoubtedly include some Brooks touches. For now, we will assume he is soon activated. The same cannot be said for resolution to Jacobs’ situation, which appears complex and fluid.