Packers Place Chris Brooks on Injured Reserve After Ankle Injury

The Green Bay Packers have placed running back Chris Brooks on injured reserve because of an ankle injury, leaving the team with three primary options in its backfield ahead of its Week 5 matchup against the Chicago Bears. The move, announced Saturday, October 10, 2026, means Brooks must miss at least four games, while Pierre Strong Jr., MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson are positioned to handle the available workload.

According to reports from Yahoo Sports and RotoBaller, Brooks had played a significant role in the backfield during the opening weeks of the season while Josh Jacobs remained on the commissioner's exempt list. Despite his increased playing time, Brooks recorded 15 carries for 70 rushing yards and three receptions for 24 receiving yards through the first four weeks.

Brooks will first become eligible to return to the active roster in Week 9, when Green Bay faces the New England Patriots, according to Yahoo Sports. The Packers have not announced a corresponding roster move, leaving an opening on their 53-man roster.

Strong was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster on October 8, two days before the Packers announced Brooks' placement on injured reserve. The 27-year-old running back has not appeared in an NFL regular-season game since the 2024 season, according to Yardbarker.

Across 46 career games with the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns, Strong has accumulated 499 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, along with 26 receptions for 193 receiving yards. His promotion gives Green Bay another available option as the team adjusts to Brooks' absence.

Lloyd and Johnson are also expected to remain in the running back rotation. However, neither has established a consistent role comparable to the workload Brooks handled while Jacobs was unavailable, according to RotoBaller and Yardbarker.

Jacobs' status remains another factor in Green Bay's backfield plans. Yahoo Sports reported that the NFL had not removed him from the commissioner's exempt list while the league continued considering whether to suspend him and, if so, the length of that suspension.

The Packers also made several defensive roster changes during the same week. On October 6, Green Bay placed linebacker Edgerrin Cooper on injured reserve after he suffered a torn Achilles in the team's Week 4 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Yardbarker. The injury ended Cooper's season.

Linebacker Kristian Welch was promoted from the practice squad to replace Cooper, while Green Bay also signed linebacker Jack Dingle to its practice squad and running back Damon Bankston to the practice squad during the week. The team will look to Isaiah McDuffie to help fill Cooper's defensive role.

Green Bay has also begun practicing wide receiver Savion Williams, who is designated to return from injured reserve. Yahoo Sports reported that the team could consider activating Williams as early as Week 6, although no corresponding roster move had been announced as of Saturday.