Acme Packing Company
In only about three full seasons of work, Grant made his mark on the Packers’ record books.
Josh Jacobs had a great season for the Packers in 2024, becoming the first Packers player to rush for more than 1,200 yards in a season since Ryan Grant did it in 2009.
Grant is a bit overlooked in Packers' history, and longevity is to blame. But his peak was up there among the best backs in the 21st century, and Jacobs’ excellent 2024 season gives us a good reason to look back on Grant’s time in Green Bay.
An undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2005, Grant spent his rookie season on the New York Giants practice squad. In 2006, a serious injury involving a severed artery, nerve, and tendon in his arm wiped out his entire second season and put his career in jeopardy. He competed to make the Giants roster, but a stacked depth chart meant his chances were slim. He rushed for a productive 90 yards on 18 carries, adding a touchdown.
The output was enough to catch Ted Thompson’s eye, who acquired Grant for a conditional sixth-round pick in September 2007. From there, Grant had to wait for his opportunity, serving mostly as the Packers’ third back early in the 2007 season behind Brandon Jackson and DeShawn Wynn. But when he finally got a significant opportunity, Grant exploded.
In Week 8, Grant finally got a significant workload, carrying the ball 22 times for 104 yards in the Packers’ 19-13 overtime win over the Denver Broncos. It was the first of five 100-yard games Grant would have in the latter half of the season.
Following his breakout game, Grant became the Packers’ primary running back and rewarded their faith with a stellar performance down the stretch. He rushed for 929 yards and eight touchdowns over the Packers’ final 10 games of the 2007 season, averaging more than five yards per carry. In Week 14, he rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries — the 13th best rushing performance by a Packers player since 2000. To this day, it’s one of just 20 times a Packers player has rushed for more than 150 yards in a game since the turn of the century.
The Packers’ 2007 season ended in disappointment, but it was a springboard for Grant, who ripped off two great performances in 2008 and 2009. A reliable weapon in the early Aaron Rodgers era, Grant gave the Packers seven 100-yard games over the next two years, totaling more than 2,400 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for Grant, 2009 would be his last season as the Packers’ primary ballcarrier. His career took a decidedly negative turn early in the 2010 season — a bad ankle injury in the season opener landed him on injured reserve for the year, leaving him to watch as the Packers won the Super Bowl powered in part by James Starks’ solid performance in the playoffs.
Grant and Starks...
