With top running backs potentially sidelined, Pierre Strong Jr. could become the Green Packers' best option against the Denver Broncos' stout rush defense.
The Green Bay Packers have suddenly gone from deep and dangerous at the running back position to spread thin like butter on a saltine cracker.
This couldn't come at a worse time for the Pack, either. At 10-3-1 and in first place in the NFC North (seeded second in the NFC as a whole), the Packers take on the 11-2 Denver Broncos this weekend in a massive clash of potential Super Bowl contenders.
Notably, the Broncos are giving up just 89 yards per game on the ground, which means they have the second-best rush defense in the NFL heading into this game.
As such, it's time to get to know Pierre Strong Jr., because he may be running the rock tomorrow against the Broncos.
How did the Packers get here?
Josh Jacobs is questionable with a knee injury that he's been dealing with for a few weeks now. Jacobs is going to do everything he can to play in this game because that's the type of competitor that he is, but he's definitely going to be a game-time decision.
The Packers could still feel confident without Jacobs because they've got a great backup in Emanuel Wilson, but on Saturday, he hit the injury report with an illness and is now questionable himself.
So what happens if Jacobs or Wilson can't go?
That would mean Chris Brooks would be RB1 and Pierre Strong Jr. would be his backup.
Brooks is as strong as role-playing running back as you'll find in this league but he's mostly known for his ability as a pass-blocker. This season, he's rushed just 11 times for 31 yards. A former undrafted free agent out of BYU, he played for the Miami Dolphins in 2023 and has been with the Pack for the past two seasons. Last season, he notched 36 carries for 183 yards and a touchdown.
So who is Strong?
He's a 5-foot-11, 207-pound running back from South Dakota State who has floated around the NFL for a few seasons now (four to be exact).
Strong has been elevated twice before, but he was not active for the two games that he was on the 53-man roster.
He was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots (pick No. 127), and he's rushed 99 times for 499 yards and two touchdowns in 46 NFL games with one start. He spent two seasons with the Cleveland Browns before the Packers picked him up for the practice squad in September of this year.
Notably, Strong can also be a bit of a "dual threat" running back. He's hauled in 26 passes in his career for 193 yards, which is good for a 7.4 yards per catch average. He's also returned 24 kickoffs for 570 yards (23.8 yards per return).
From Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong became a consensus All-America selection at South Dakota State and he finished his Jackrabbits career with 4,527 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns to go along with 208 receiving yards and six touchdowns through the air.
You hope it doesn't get to Strong playing significant snaps in this one because of how good Denver's defense is, but he is at least an experienced running back who can pack a punch for one game for the Packers if they do end up needing him.