Overlooked addition could fight for meaningful role in surprising way at one of biggest Packers needs in 2026
Running back Damien Martinez is a young, promising piece looking to secure a roster spot in Green Bay this upcoming season.
It hasn’t been unusual for general manager Brian Gutekunst to find real value in the margins for the Green Bay Packers’ roster. Allen Lazard and Rasul Douglas were examples of players who were on other teams’ practice squads and became meaningful pieces in Green Bay.
That’s what the Packers are trying with running back Damien Martinez. A strong, powerful runner, he is an overlooked part of the backfield equation in 2026.
It takes time
Damien Martinez was a young prospect coming out of Miami last season. But he was promising. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to D’Onte Foreman in terms of stlye, and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler gave him a fourth-round grade.
“Martinez uses his patience, physicality and balance to pick through contact — a sizable chunk (71 percent) of his 2024 yardage came after contact. Though he often finds the right lane, he is more of a one-speed guy and gives pursuit a chance to close on him. Overall, Martinez doesn’t have the burst or wiggle to consistently make defenders miss, but he can power through/over them and prides himself on his finishing ability to churn out positive yards. He can be a “dirty work” runner on an NFL depth chart.” — Dane Brugler.
Martinez ended up falling in the draft, and the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 223rd overall pick, in the seventh round. He didn’t make the initial 53-man roster and spent a few weeks on the practice squad, but was released in September.
Damien Martinez preseason stats
He played three preseason games for the Seahawks in 2025.
- 24 attempts
- 84 yards
- 3.5 yards per attempt
- 1 touchdown
- 2.17 yards after contact per attempt
- 1.39 yards per route run
A new piece in Green Bay
The Packers signed Martinez to the practice squad on Dec. 30 last year, so he could learn the offense faster. After the season, he agreed to a future deal.
With Emanuel Wilson’s departure — curiously enough, to the Seahawks — there’s a real space for another running back on the roster. The group has two locks: Josh Jacobs and Chris Brooks. Theoretically, MarShawn Lloyd should be another one, but the injuries make his situation totally unpredictable.
Pierre Strong Jr. was also on the practice squad and even played some games last year. This offseason, the only addition was undrafted rookie Jaden Nixon.
But in terms of talent, Damien Martinez is the player outside of the mainstream with the most upside in the room. The offseason program, training camp, and the preseason will be key to determine what he can actually do for the Packers — and for his NFL career.