​The Green Bay Packers will begin training camp on Wednesday, July 29, signaling the unofficial kickoff to the 2026 season for Matt LaFleur’s club. Coming off a third consecutive playoff berth but another postseason disappointment, Green Bay is determined to finally push past the hump in 2026. The full ramp-up starts July 29. Packers Wire will deliver a position-by-position preview, spotlighting the battles to watch, the factors that truly matter, and the young players to keep an eye on this summer.
Here is our training camp preview of the running back position: Josh Jacobs is a three-time Pro Bowler who has logged more than 2,000 career touches over seven seasons and is navigating off-the-field issues this offseason. Chris Brooks is the versatile option who can catch passes out of the backfield and hold up in pass protection. MarShawn Lloyd, the 2024 third-round pick, is dynamic but has played in only one regular-season game across two seasons due to persistent injuries. Pierre Strong Jr., a former 2022 fourth-round pick, has appeared in 46 career games and also brings kickoff return experience. Damien Martinez, the 2025 seventh-round selection, joined the Packers’ practice squad late last season.
If everything falls into place, Green Bay’s backfield would feature a veteran workhorse who has scored 30 rushing touchdowns across the last two seasons in Jacobs, a versatile backup who can do it all in Brooks, a recent top-100 pick with explosive potential and unfulfilled upside in Lloyd, and two competent depth-chart options in Strong Jr. and Martinez, both former draft selections. Yet there are several question marks that could put the unit in a precarious position. Jacobs is dealing with an off-the-field legal situation. Brooks has never been a featured back. Lloyd has managed to play in just one game over two seasons because of injuries. If things begin to derail—whether Jacobs’ legal matter accelerates or Lloyd suffers another setback—the Packers may need to add reinforcements from outside the organization before the regular season begins.
Assuming Jacobs’ legal troubles don’t bar him from playing in 2026, Green Bay can no longer lean on Emanuel Wilson as its primary backup. Wilson rushed for 496 yards on 125 carries (4.0 yards per carry) last season and was a productive receiver, catching 15 of 17 targets. It’s likely to come down to a two-man competition between MarShawn Lloyd, who has the talent to fill that role but struggles to stay healthy, and Chris Brooks, who runs with power and is dependable in pass protection but lacks dynamic playmaking ability with the ball in his hands. At minimum, Green Bay needs a reliable backup to spell Jacobs, and training camp should reveal who emerges as that option. The central issue in Green Bay’s backfield remains Jacobs’ legal situation, a factor that could drive the team to explore external options if the case remains unresolved.