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Brooks signed with the Packers practice squad on September 3, but his role has grown steadily since.
Chris Brooks has a limited window to show his stuff in Green Bay. That’s the reality for a practice squad player signed to the active roster as an injury replacement.
Brooks played a season-high 17 snaps on offense on Sunday, carrying the ball four times four 16 yards and catching a pass. His five total touches were a season high as well, and it was Brooks, not Josh Jacobs or Emanuel Wilson, that was on the field for the lions’ share of the Packers’ two-minute drive near the end of the first half.
Normally, a performance like that might be a stepping stone for something bigger, and it might yet be for Brooks — but it might not be in Green Bay. That’s because Brooks is only getting reps because 2024 third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd is on injured reserve.
The Packers signed Brooks to their practice squad on September 3, signing him to the 53-man roster two weeks later after Lloyd injured an ankle during the Packers’ Week 2 win over the Colts and landed on injured reserve. Brooks’ role has only grown since then; he’s played at least eight snaps on offense in each of the last three weeks, and his season-high 17 snaps on offense were accompanied by 14 more plays on special teams on Sunday.
The growing role has come despite consistent solid performances from backfield mate Emanuel Wilson in relief of Jacobs. Even though Wilson has averaged comfortably more than four yards per carry so far this season, the Packers have ceded some of his snaps to Brooks while they wait for Lloyd to recover.
There’s an obvious question here: why Brooks? If you paid all that money to Josh Jacobs and already have a reliable backup in Emanuel Wilson, why is Brooks seeing a bigger role?
Matt LaFleur hasn’t addressed this directly, but it’s clear the Packers like Brooks a lot. LaFleur was about as effusive as he gets with praise for Brooks shortly after the Packer signed him in September. He was equally effusive after Brooks turned down a touchdown late in the Packers win over the Jaguars in favor of running down the clock so Brandon McManus could kick the game-winning field goal as time expired.
“I think Chrs Brooks has been a huge asset for our team,” said LaFleur. “A great pickup. Gotta give Gutey and his group a lot of credit for that one.”
Maybe it really is that simple. The Packers saw an opportunity to add a player they’ve liked for a while who was familiar with an offense very similar to what LaFleur runs, so they did it. The rest of the roster questions can be answered when — or perhaps if — MarShawn Lloyd comes off of injured reserve.
In the meantime, Brooks can continue to make the most of the chance he’s got, either to secure himself a long-term job...
