One day after losing two running backs to injuries, Aaron Jones (knee) and Emanuel Wilson (shoulder), the Green Bay Packers signed two other players to the room — Patrick Taylor and James Robinson. And, well, the front office didn't miss any time looking for options.

On his first day back in Green Bay, Patrick Taylor revealed that he received a call from the Packers during halftime, minutes after the injuries happened in sequence. Taylor was on the New England Patriots practice squad, and with his team on a bye week, the running back was watching his former teammates on TV.

Packers' executive vice-president and director of football operations, Russ Ball, made the call to Patrick Taylor's agent.

"I might be going back to Green Bay," Taylor recalled telling his wife. "Literally two minutes, three minutes after I said that, my agent called."

Besides adding Taylor to the 53-man roster, the Packers also signed James Robinson to the practice squad.

Why he accepted it

It's been a long season for Patrick Taylor. He didn't make the initial 53-man roster in Green Bay, but was immediately signed to their practice squad. Over the first four weeks, he was elevated for gameday thrice, reaching the season's limit. So in week 5, when Aaron Jones reaggravated his hamstring injury right before the Las Vegas Raiders game, the Packers were forced to sign Taylor to the active roster.

After the game, he was cut again. The Packers and Taylor decided to move on, because the veteran running back would presumably have more chances elsewhere — with another team, he could be elevated for gameday three more times, and receive the corresponding gameday paycheck.

However, he spent one month with the New England Patriots and hadn't been elevated once. So when the Packers called with a possibility to be again on a 53-man roster, he took it.

Contract situation

As the Packers signed Patrick Taylor off another team's practice squad, he will count towards their 53-man roster (and get the paychecks) for at least three weeks, even if he's released before that. That means he will stay in Green Bay at least through week 14. The Packers face the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Giants over this period.

Depth

Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson haven't been placed on injured reserve, so they are still on their 53-man roster — and presumably will be back at some point during the next four games. Meanwhile, AJ Dillon and Patrick Taylor are the healthy options on the active roster.

The Packers also have recently re-signed James Robinson and undrafted rookie Ellis Merriweather on the practice squad. Each of them can be elevated for gameday up to three times until the end of the season — even both at the same time if the team eventually wants it, because a team can elevate two players per week.

Patrick Taylor has been relatively active during the games in which he participated. He's played 10.8% of the offensive snaps for the entire season, and 11.92% of the special teams snaps. In four games, he ran 11 times for 31 yards and received five passes for 28 yards.

Taylor has been in and out of the Packers roster since 2021. He has appeared in 27 games for the team.

With a small four-day gap between games, the Packers needed running backs who knew the offensive system, and that's why they brought back players with previous ties to the team. James Robinson had spent three weeks on their PS earlier this season.

Packers sign second running back of the day

Patrick Taylor was signed off the Patriots’ PS