Packers RB Josh Jacobs: No. 5 Player in 2026 Could Use Some Help

Packers On SI is counting down the Green Bay Packers’ top 25 players for the 2026 season. This series continues with our No. 5 player, Josh Jacobs.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

The Green Bay Packers have shaken up their running back depth chart. They let Emanuel Wilson, their top backup the last two seasons, go in free agency. Chris Brooks and MarShawn Lloyd, who combined for 27 rushing attempts last season, will battle for the No. 2 reps.

Nothing has changed at the top of the depth chart. Eighth-year pro Josh Jacobs, who carried the running game in 2024 and 2025, will be expected to do so again.

“He’s going to have the same ability that he did the first year, where he was obviously a Pro Bowl-caliber player,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said at the start of the offseason program. “That’s my expectations of him.”

Here’s something else that won’t change: The offense will run through No. 8.

Why Josh Jacobs Is So Important

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs in for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Green Bay’s offense under coach Matt LaFleur is built around the running game. Well, when Jacobs had 40 yards or less last season, the Packers went 0-4.

Jacobs didn’t get much help from his friends last season. Whether it was the offensive line being too banged up or too discombobulated or the scheme sending Jacobs directly into a defense that was waiting for him, he had to fight for nearly every inch of his 929 rushing yards.

Among running backs last season, Jacobs finished 20th in rushing yards. According to Pro Football Focus, 77.2 percent of Jacobs’ yards came after contact. The only top-20 rusher with a higher percentage was Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty.

What a completely different sport for some running backs. Buffalo’s James Cook, who won the rushing title, gained 60.0 percent of his yards after contact. Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs gained 58.5 percent of his yards after contact. Five running backs averaged 3.0-plus yards per carry before contact. Jacobs averaged 1.96.

Last season, 42 running backs had at least 125 carries (Emanuel Wilson’s number). According to Stathead, Jacobs was 33rd in yards before contact per carry and 21st in yards after contact per carry. Too often, Jacobs had to change directions just to avoid being tackled in the backfield.

Josh Jacobs’ Strengths and Weaknesses

The strength of Jacobs’ game is his ability to grind out the hard yards. He simply doesn’t quit on any run. If there’s any way possible to turn a run blocked for 0 yards into a gain of 3 yards, he’ll find it.

Among running backs, Jacobs was sixth in the league with 16 conversions on third- and fourth-down runs. He’s a superb goal-line runner.

Jacobs is a three-down running back. He’s a strong receiver, as he showed with his touchdown catch at Denver. He’s become a quality pass protector. On the field, he’s one of the team’s heart-and-soul players.

“He’s always been that kind of guy as a teammate. I think he’s been a great leader for us.,” quarterback Jordan Love said during OTAs.

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) celebrates a touchdown at the Broncos. — Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) celebrates a touchdown at the Broncos last season. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With more than 2,100 touches in seven seasons, Jacobs hard-nosed running style has led to a lot of wear and tear. He went from 1,329 rushing yards in 2024 to 929 rushing yards in 2025, a decline of exactly 400 yards. He went from three games of 100-plus yards to zero.

That’s not all on Jacobs, obviously – he said he was playing on “one leg” after the knee injury sustained at the Giants – but it’s fair to wonder what peak Jacobs looks like entering Year 8.

“Josh is a warrior,” Sirmans said. “We all know he played in a lot of pain last year, fighting through it. I guess the biggest thing I can say in comparison to the time when he first got here to what he is now if you’re looking at him in the same position and at the same point of time, he looks about the same, to be honest with you, because he takes care of his body, he understands his body, and what he needs to do.

“He’s still first in line. He’s still going through the drills full speed, making explosive cuts, so he still looks the same.”

The weaknesses are more nitpicking. He is not a big-play, explosive runner. In 535 carries with the Packers, he has no runs of longer than 40 yards. He had three runs of 20-plus yards last season. He fumbled twice last season, which isn’t bad, and was an improvement over four in 2024.

What Happens If Josh Jacobs Gets Hurt

The Packers opted to not re-sign Wilson in free agency. A former undrafted free agent, Wilson had developed into a reliable runner. There wasn’t a lot of wiggle or explosive ability to his game (long run of 15 yards last season), and he didn’t break many tackles (fourth-lowest missed-tackle rate last season), but he was fearless and ran for what the blockers provided.

Brooks has done well with very limited opportunities. For his career, his yards-after-contact average is much better than Wilson’s. Lloyd has played in only one game in his two seasons and is just as much of a mystery today as he was when he was drafted in 2024.

So, if Jacobs is injured or is sidelined for off-the-field reasons, the Packers will be diving into the great unknown.

Why We Ranked Josh Jacobs Here

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs is introduced before the game against Baltimore. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It’s what we just hit on a moment ago. If Jacobs can’t play for one reason or another, is there a running back capable of allowing LaFleur to maintain his balanced offensive attack?

Moreover, a team’s highly paid players must be big-time producers. Jacobs has a base salary of $10.2 million for the upcoming season. His cap charge of about $14.54 million ranks third on the team. Among running backs, only the Colts’ Jonathan Taylor is consuming more of the cap.

Jacobs’ production crashed in almost every area last season. The potential of a better offensive line – potentially a much better offensive line with Jordan Morgan at left tackle, Sean Rhyan entering Year 2 at center and Anthony Belton entering Year 2 in the NFL – could get Jacobs more open-field opportunities, where his size and strength give him an edge against smaller defenders.

Through the combination of Jacobs’ proven excellence and the unproven depth chart behind him, the offense might once again go how Jacobs goes.

Every year, I rank every player on the Packers roster based on talent, importance, salary etc. I will again this year, too.

For now, let's cut right to the chase. Here is a quick-hitting look at the 2⃣5⃣ most important players for the 2026 season.⬇️https://t.co/ezDAkl7vmd
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 17, 2026

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