Nobody is talking about Chris Brooks, but that's about to change. He has the opportunity to deliver the knockout punch in the fight for the Green Bay Packers' RB3 job in the preseason opener.
With MarShawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson sidelined by injury, and Josh Jacobs unlikely to feature for long, Brooks has nothing but green grass ahead of him, both figuratively and literally. And he has the backing of his head coach.
"Guys like Chris Brooks, who might not get the national attention. He's a badass," LaFleur told Kevin Clark in an interview for ESPN.
Chris Brooks can all but seal a spot on Packers 53-man roster in the preseason opener
It's not the first time LaFleur has praised Brooks, who is an unsung hero of the Packers' offense. His opportunities came few and far between last season, but he made the most of them, averaging 5.1 yards per carry while catching 11 of the 13 passes thrown his way.
Brooks can make the tough yards after contact. He can block. He can catch passes. And many might not realize it, but he has that breakout, home-run ability, which he showed off on a 59-yard run for the Miami Dolphins in the preseason last summer.
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Jacobs is a roster lock. So is Lloyd. The third (and potentially final) spot is on the line, and Brooks gets a chance to audition for the role on Saturday night.
The Packers will want to see a lot of him. Lloyd and Wilson are unlikely to play, which will leave the majority of the carries to Brooks, Amar Johnson, Israel Abanikanda, and Jalen White. Don't be surprised if we see Brooks dominate the snaps throughout the opening two quarters.
Injuries are unfortunate, and Wilson certainly shouldn't lose an opportunity for that reason alone. He played admirably as the Packers' No. 2 running back last year.
But Brooks has so much potential and can do a bit of everything in this offense. He has a fan in LaFleur, and with a strong performance in Saturday's preseason opener, he may secure his roster spot while adding more uncertainty to Wilson's future.