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Why Pierre Strong Jr. has a golden opportunity to take over Packers' run game

ByAnthony Nash
Green Bay Packers running back Pierre Strong Jr. (22) runs through a drill during practice on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
Green Bay Packers running back Pierre Strong Jr. (22) runs through a drill during practice on Friday, July 31, 2026, at Ray Nitschke Field in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Green Bay Packers' run game has been, for lack of a better word, nonexistent. Through the team's first four games, the team hasn't managed to find a player to help get the offense going on the ground. Ahead of their Week 5 game against the Bears, they'll look to another face for help.

Is Pierre Strong Jr. the answer? Well, elevating him to the active roster feels more like a blind throw at the dart board in lieu of anything else working.

However, thanks to some serious reinforcements on the offensive line and another full week for that quintet to try to jell together on the fly, perhaps they can pave the runway for Strong to break out on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Pierre Strong Jr.'s activation is the Packers' latest move to improve the run game

This week, the Packers turned to their practice squad for help. The team activated Pierre Strong Jr. ahead of their upcoming game against the Bears. Partly due to the fact that Chris Brooks is injured, Strong's inclusion on the main roster is also likely due to the fact that the Packers' main two running backs have not been able to do anything so far.

Through the first four weeks of the season, the Packers dead last in rushing yards in the NFL, with just 232.

To put that into perspective, Chicago Bears running backs Kyle Monangai and D'Andre Swift both have over 300 yards separately, which is more than the entire Packers team has as a single group. Although Monangai isn't playing in Week 5, the point still stands. Green Bay averages just 58 rushing yards — yes, 58 — per game on average, and are also averaging a second-lowest 3.2 yards per carry.

With the Packers' running game producing little to nothing, it's time for some sort of change. While it's unclear if Strong will be that, it'll at least provide a new face to the room.

Green Bay's RB alternatives to Strong are lackluster to put it kindly

Currently, both MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson haven't been able to help the team much, which has been a major issue for a number of reasons. While the team's offensive line woes have been a major source of inconsistency for the offense, the team's poor rushing attack has been an equally large, if not larger, role.

For years, the Packers' offense under Matt LaFleur has operated with a few big priorities. Establishing a run game has been at the very top of the list there.

Ever since he arrived in Green Bay, LaFleur has used the running game to set up the rest of his offense, building in the running formations into play action plays and keeping defense guessing in the process. However, this year's team hasn't been able to generate that level of consistency.

With little to no run game to speak, the Packers' offense has essentially just had to rely on Jordan Love and the passing game. While not necessarily a problem at times, the team's offensive line, and other team's absolutely showing no respect to the run, has made it much harder to succeed in that regard. Instead, what we've seen is Love having to force throws into tighter and tighter windows and trying to make things happen, oftentimes to his detriment.

Unfortunately for the Packers, while the inclusion of Strong on the roster is sure to provide some hope, it might not provide some help.

It's still yet to be seen if the new running back can get anything going in a way the rest of the team hasn't. It's also unclear whether or not the team will even lean on him to do so. For now, the team is likely to keep trying to cobble together a run game as best they can, and hopefully that begins with Strong.

And hey, if the running game fails (again), maybe ex-South Dakota State teammates Strong and Tucker Kraft can spark something in each other, as Kraft is still clearly trying to find his stride post-ACL recovery.

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