The Green Bay Packers have gotten off to a 2-1 start and put together a thrilling comeback win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but in spite of the early excitement, it’s clear that problems exist.
One of the biggest current issues for the Packers is their ground game.
Featured back Aaron Jones has missed the last two weeks due to a hamstring injury, and his status for Week 4 and beyond is in doubt.
Without Jones, Green Bay’s rushing attack has struggled mightily over the past couple of weeks, as AJ Dillon has carried the ball 26 times for a grand total of 88 yards over the last two games.
Given all of the uncertainty surrounding Jones, the Packers could be in the market for another running back, and one potential name that could interest the club is Cincinnati Bengals rookie halfback Chase Brown, per Jason B. Hirschhorn of The Leap.
Brown, who played his collegiate football at the University of Illinois, was selected by the Bengals in the fifth round of the NFL Draft back in the spring.
The 23-year-old assembled an impressive NCAA career, as he racked up 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging five yards per carry in his final season at Illinois.
Brown is currently playing behind Joe Mixon in Cincinnati, so his touches have understandably been limited. He has carried the ball just once through Cincy’s first two games.
Could the Bengals attempt to offload Brown for some draft capital ahead of the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline?
While it doesn’t seem very likely, it is at least something the Packers should consider.
Scouts praised Brown’s high-end speed heading into the draft and were very impressed with his overall athleticism at the combine, so he could end up becoming a gamebreaking running back in the right offense.