GREEN BAY, Wis. — In the high-stakes world of NFL backfields, where every snap can swing a season, few things unsettle fans more than uncertainty at the top of the depth chart. For the Green Bay Packers, Josh Jacobs has been the rock-solid engine of their ground attack since signing with the team in free agency—a bruising, three-time Pro Bowler who’s transformed their run game into a weapon. But heading into Week 7’s showdown with the Arizona Cardinals, a seemingly innocuous roster tweak has ignited a firestorm of speculation: Is Jacobs’ ironclad grip on the starting role suddenly slipping?
The “unexpected move” in question? The Packers’ last-minute elevation of running back Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad to the gameday roster. On the surface, it’s a routine call-up for a versatile depth piece with special teams chops. But in the context of Jacobs’ “questionable” tag on Friday’s injury report—listing both illness and a lingering calf issue—the timing feels anything but routine. It’s a backfield bombshell that’s left Lambeau faithful gripping their cheeseheads a little tighter, wondering if their star tailback’s status as the undisputed RB1 is now hanging by a thread.
Let’s break it down. Jacobs, acquired last offseason to pair with young phenom MarShawn Lloyd and provide veteran stability, has been everything Green Bay hoped for and more. Through six games, he’s racked up 612 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 4.8 yards per carry, anchoring an offense that’s averaged 28.2 points per contest. His toughness is legendary: In 105 career games, Jacobs has missed just 10, often powering through ailments that would sideline lesser backs. Just last week against the Lions, he gutted out what head coach Matt LaFleur dubbed his “flu game,” churning out 112 yards and a score despite battling a stomach bug that left him dehydrated and drained.
“Josh is a warrior,” LaFleur said postgame, his voice laced with admiration. “Guys like him don’t miss games unless the good Lord himself pulls them off the field.”
Yet here we are, staring down a scenario where that warrior ethos might finally meet its match. Friday’s practice report painted a cautiously optimistic picture: Jacobs was a full participant, logging reps without limitation. No red flags, no visible limp, just the quiet grind of a back shaking off nagging woes. But the “Q” designation lingers like a storm cloud, and the Packers’ decision to bring up Strong— a 2021 undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State who’s bounced around rosters in New England and now Green Bay—has fans connecting dots that spell trouble.
Strong isn’t your typical emergency depth call. At 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, he’s a shifty, receiving threat with 4.4 speed, but his real value lies in special teams, where he’s logged snaps as a gunner and blocker. The Packers’ punt return unit has been a sore spot this season, plagued by penalties and miscues, and with cornerback Keisean Nixon also landing on the injury report as questionable (illness), Strong’s elevation could be a hedge against a depleted coverage game. “Pierre’s got that special teams DNA,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia noted earlier this week. “He’s explosive, reliable—exactly what we need if things get thin.”
Fair enough. But let’s not kid ourselves: In a league where practice squad elevations are telegraphed days in advance, doing it on gameday screams contingency planning. And when your contingency is a third-stringer behind Jacobs and Lloyd, it screams backfield contingency. Green Bay’s run game depth has been tested before—Lloyd’s rookie flashes notwithstanding—but elevating Strong positions him as a potential third option, a luxury the Packers wouldn’t bother with unless they genuinely fear Jacobs sitting. Is this the first crack in the dam, a signal that the calf tweak (first noted midweek) is more hamstring-pull than hamstring-pull, or that the illness is sapping his explosiveness?
Packers beat writers are buzzing. “It’s not panic mode yet,” one anonymous NFC North scribe texted Saturday morning, “but LaFleur’s poker face during his presser? Stone cold. If Jacobs is 100%, why not stick with the usual inactive list and roll with it?”
The ripple effects could be seismic. Without Jacobs, the Packers lean on Lloyd, whose 4.6 yards per carry masks a fumbling issue (three lost this season) and inexperience in pass protection. Emanuel Wilson, the third-string bruiser, is serviceable but no Jacobs replacement. Insert Strong, and suddenly you’ve got a committee approach: Lloyd for the home runs, Wilson for the short yardage, Strong for the gadget work. It’s flexible, sure—but it’s no Jacobs, whose vision and physicality open up play-action daggers for Jordan Love. Arizona’s defense, ranked 22nd against the run, would salivate at the downgrade.
Jacobs himself? Mum, as always. Post-practice, he brushed off questions with a grin: “I’m good, man. Ready to eat.” But those closest to the locker room sense the weight. Teammate AJ Dillon, sidelined by his own knee woes earlier this year, pulled Jacobs aside Friday: “He’s fighting it, but you can tell the calf’s barking. Doesn’t want to let the team down.”
For a Packers squad eyeing a deep playoff run—sitting at 4-2 and tied for the NFC North lead—this isn’t just about one game. It’s about momentum. Jacobs’ absence, even for a series, could embolden Kyler Murray and James Conner to flip the script in a rivalry matchup that’s always been a grinder. And long-term? It plants seeds of doubt in a backfield that’s been the model’s stability. Will this “unexpected move” embolden rivals to test Green Bay’s resolve, or force LaFleur to rethink his RB pecking order?
As kickoff looms at State Farm Stadium, all eyes will be on that inactive list, dropping 90 minutes pre-game. If Strong suits up and Jacobs doesn’t—or even if he does but looks hobbled—the questions won’t fade. The undisputed starter? Suddenly, it’s not so undisputed. In the NFL’s brutal ballet, one elevation can rewrite the script. And for Josh Jacobs, this bombshell might just be the cue for an unplanned intermission.