The Green Bay Packers have already clinched a wild-card berth. The only question is who they will play between the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Green Bay has plenty of stars who can lead them, including Jordan Love, Josh Jacobs, Christian Watson, and Xavier McKinney. Beyond that, there are emerging superstars like Tucker Kraft and Edgerrin Cooper, who have endeared themselves to Cheeseheads already.
Some players can become heroes in the postseason, earning a spot in team history while having otherwise unremarkable careers. They can be waiver-wire pickups or late-season adds. The 1996 Green Bay Packers had Andre Rison, Desmond Howard, and Mike Prior make significant plays in the Super Bowl. The 2010 Packers had James Starks, Howard Green, and Sam Shields.
The Packers have a trio of players who could become immortal if they keep contributing to the team at the same rate. Opposing fans may not know some of these names, but if the Packers can make a deep run, they will not be able to deny them any longer.
1. Chris Brooks, RB
Chris Brooks is the perfect Packers running back. He does so many things well that don't show up in the stat column, at least not in the common box score. Brooks has become the primary pass-protector in the backfield, ranking as one of Pro Football Focus' top-graded pass-blocking backs. He catches the ball out of the backfield as well as any other back in the NFL.
Perhaps most important is his ability to run the ball. Brooks wears #30 and looks just like Ahman Green, running with a combination of speed and force that most backs simply don't have. He has the ability to spell Josh Jacobs when needed without really skipping a beat. Since emerging as one of the primary backup backs, Brooks has 28 carries for 230 yards and a touchdown.
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It should have been two touchdowns, but ever the team guy, Brooks went down in the final minute to set up the game-winning field goal against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Thanks to Brooks and Emanuel Wilson, Green Bay has withstood the loss of MarShawn Lloyd and AJ Dillon. Packers fans already knew Wilson, and soon, the rest of the NFL will know Brooks.
2. Brandon McManus, K
Brandon McManus falls more into the 1996 class than the 2010 group. He was fairly well known before coming to Green Bay, having won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos. Still, Green Bay had struggled in the kicking game since letting Mason Crosby walk after the 2022 season.
Anders Carlson infuriated fans in his rookie season and struggled in the preseason before being released. The Packers signed Brayden Narveson after cutting ties with Carlson and Greg Joseph, who hadn't faired much better in the preseason. Narveson struggled, going 12/17 during his tenure with the Packers.
McManus has been nearly perfect since joining the Packers, going 17/18, with his lone miss coming against Detroit in Lambeau, where weather was a significant factor. Having a surefooted kicker is taken for granted until it becomes a luxury. Luckily for the Packers, they have their guy when it matters most, and they can have much more confidence should they need to trot out McManus in a late-game situation.
3. Eric Wilson, LB
I had an internal debate when picking who to select for this spot. As you can see by now, I went with one offensive player, a special teams guy, and I wanted to go with a defensive player in the last spot. The conversation boiled down to Eric Wilson or Karl Brooks.
The Packers drafted Brooks a year ago, and he has had some huge moments, including the blocked field goal against Chicago and recovering Carrington Valentine's fumble after his interception against Minnesota over the weekend. It has been a banner year for the second-year guy out of Bowling Green, with two fumble recoveries, two passes defended, 20 tackles, and 3.5 sacks.
Wilson is a bit of a different story, having bounced around the league since the 2017 season, starting with Minnesota, Philadelphia, Houston, and New Orleans, before being plucked off the Saints' practice squad in 2022. Before the start of the season, Wilson's biggest splashes came when he was a game captain against the Carolina Panthers and when he recovered a Keisean Nixon fumble against the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs last season.
Since the start of 2024, Wilson has been incredible when called upon. In Green Bay's Week 3 win against the Colts, Wilson earned a 99.4 PFF grade after forcing a fumble and making a tackle for a loss and an interception. In Week 7 against Houston, Wilson had four tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pass defensed when filling in for Quay Walker.
Wilson had nine tackles in each game of the previous two games, his most since the win against the Jaguars. His 65 tackles are good for seventh on the team, filling in perfectly for either Walker or Edgerrin Cooper, who have both missed time with injuries.
Walker is week-to-week with an ankle injury, but the Packers can take solace in knowing that Wilson can step up and play at the highest level.