Even if the Green Bay Packers have Josh Jacobs available against the Denver Broncos, we might be getting a heavier dose of Emanuel Wilson than usual.
And for Wilson, it would be a shot to get back at the team that first signed him in the NFL, but also cut him just three days later.
Wilson, an undrafted free agent out of Fort Valley State back in 2023, was originally discovered by the Denver Broncos. The Broncos took two UDFAs into their first minicamp -- the other being Jaleel McLaughlin -- and they rolled with McLaughlin. Now, Wilson might have a chance to show the Broncos what they're missing.
Emanuel Wilson revenge game vs. Broncos could be underrated storyline to watch
Wilson has evolved into a very capable RB2 for the Packers behind Josh Jacobs. In fact, he ran for over 100 yards in the team's dominating win over the Minnesota Vikings a couple of weeks ago when Jacobs had to miss a game.
The Packers don't just have a solid backup, but they have someone they believe can carry the load in the event that Jacobs either can't play or needs more rest than a typical Sunday.
Jacobs has been absolutely dominant against the Broncos throughout the course of his NFL career. In eight matchups against Denver, he helped the Raiders go 8-0 with 950 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns. To say the Broncos wouldn't mind dodging Jacobs in this matchup would be an understatement, but they might have a lot to handle going up against Wilson, regardless.
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After his extremely brief stint in Denver, Wilson was quickly scooped up by the Packers and he hasn't looked back. He's become such a valuable piece of their offensive arsenal with nearly 1,100 yards from scrimmage in his career and seven total touchdowns.
Although Broncos head coach Sean Payton certainly doesn't have any ill wishes for someone like Wilson, Payton has a longstanding philosophy that he's shared often about not wanting to have guys in his program that they see on the field, and you let them go only to hear about their success somewhere else. He said this back in May:
"I've said this to you guys before: we never want someone that was here and hear about him later there [with another team]. That's important that we do a close job looking closely at them," Payton said.
Wilson is obviously a perfect example of what Payton is talking about here. The Broncos have had some issues the past couple of years at their running back position, with Javonte Williams not working out for them and leaving for the Cowboys in free agency. They lost JK Dobbins this year due to injury, and the depth at the position has taken a hit.
It will be fun to see what Wilson has up his sleeve for this matchup and how much of a chip he still carries on his shoulder from the Broncos cutting him after just three days with the team.