The Green Bay Packers are thin at running back, and this is something they will need to address moving forward. The good news is Aaron Jones will probably be back after the bye week, so the team will have high-end talent to really impact games. That also would downgrade AJ Dillon to running back 2, a position where he makes more sense as a change of pace type of runner.

For last week's game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Jones was declared out on Monday. The Packers, out of practice squad elevations for Patrick Taylor, needed to promote him to the 53-man roster, releasing edge defender Justin Hollins. But they reverted the move after the game, and decided to not bring Taylor back to the practice squad.

Now, the Packers have just three running backs under contract. Beyond Jones and Dillon, undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson is also on the active roster. However, Wilson is much more of a long-term project by the front office, and the coaching staff hasn't trusted him during games — on Monday, even without Jones, he had just one offensive snap and no special teams snaps.

With all that in mind, the Packers may have to add another running back. And for that, they have multiple options. The Packers could explore trades, as they did with Jonathan Taylor before he extended with the Indianapolis Colts. But the more likely scenarios are adding another player to the practice squad, so he could be elevated for gameday three times, or sign a player from another team's practice squad to the active roster.

Since the NFL created the practice squad elevation rules, teams have added veteran running backs there, as they become cheaper and are replaceable anyway. But that opens the door for other teams to pick them away, which can work in the Packers favor in this scenario.

Market options

The Packers have veteran options on the open market. The bad is players are available in October for a reason, but the good is these players could be added to the practice squad. By doing that, Green Bay wouldn't spend a roster spot with another running back, and they could be elevated for gameday, keeping Emanuel Wilson inactive, but protected on the 53-man roster.

The first option there would probably be James Robinson. The former Jacksonville Jaguars running back worked out for the Packers earlier this season and has a decent track record in the NFL. However, his efficiency dropped since an Achilles injury in 2021.

More traditional runners are Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones, both players that performed together for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Fournette has the higher profile, as a former first-round pick for the Jaguars.

If the Packers want a different skill set, a decent option is former Washington Commanders' running back JD McKissic. He's already 30 years old, but what he offers is interesting for a running back 3 role — over his seven years in the NFL, he's had 1,674 receiving yards and 1,074 rushing yards, so he's a real receiving back. This is particularly interesting because AJ Dillon is not a great receiving option, and Patrick Taylor had that role while Jones was injured.

Practice squad options

Going through other teams' practice squads, there are a lot of decent options for the Packers to sign. The problem here is that they must be signed to the active roster, which would mean cutting Emanuel Wilson or leaving another position with fewer options.

In this scenario, the most intriguing alternative is Tarik Cohen. The former Chicago Bears receiving back had retired because of multiple serious knee and Achilles injuries, but recently came back and signed to the Carolina Panthers practice squad.

If the Packers want a running back to play right away, the best alternative is probably Kenyan Drake. Alongside Melvin Gordon, he is on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad and was even elevated to play against the Indianapolis Colts two weeks ago. Ty Johnson (Buffalo Bills), Deon Jackson (Cleveland Browns), Malik Davis (Dallas Cowboys), Corey Clement (Arizona Cardinals), Damien Williams (Arizona Cardinals), and Royce Freeman (Los Angeles Rams) are also experienced options.

Finally, if Green Bay wants an old friend back, Tyler Goodson is on the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. He was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and spent his entire rookie season on the Packers practice squad. He was in Green Bay until this year's training camp, but didn't make the 53-man roster and looked for another opportunity elsewhere.

Running back tends to be a replaceable position, and the Packers' problems go well beyond that — the run blocking has been atrocious, and they haven't been able to run even against two-high defensive looks. But it makes sense to look at options, especially until Aaron Jones is fully healthy.

Packers: Aaron Jones receives concerning injury update

Running back may miss another game