The Green Bay Packers have one preseason game remaining and less than one week before the roster has to be down to 53 players. The team entered training camp pleased with their depth at running back after revamping the position over the offseason. Now, however, at this late date in training camp, injuries are causing issues with the running back position.

The starting running back will be Josh Jacobs. Jacobs dealt with some injuries earlier in training camp but is now healthy and should be ready to play in Week 1 when the Packers travel to Brazil to face the Eagles. But behind Jacobs, the team presently is dealing with injuries that place a cloud over the depth at the position.

Veteran backup A.J. Dillon did not practice Wednesday due to a stinger. He suffered a similar injury late last season in a win over the Minnesota Vikings.

“I think any time you have a repeated injury, absolutely, there is a concern,” head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Wednesday. “I think we’re being cautious with him and just making sure we gather all the information before we let him go back out there.”

A stinger is a nerve injury that often causes weakness in the arm or hand. Obviously, this can be a big problem for a running back who needs to hold on to the football while being hit by multiple players trying to not only take him down but to also pry the ball loose.

The Packers are still unsure how long Dillon may be unavailable. Will he be ready for Week 1? Will the Packers have to place him on injured reserve? The team is waiting further information from doctors about Dillon’s status.

Last year, Dillon did not play in the final regular season games or either playoff contest last season after suffering the stinger.

The Packers also selected running back MarShawn Lloyd in the third round of this year’s draft. The coaching staff was excited about Lloyd’s cutback ability and explosive offensive potential after seeing him at OTAs.

However, Lloyd suffered a hip injury that caused him to miss time early in training camp. The former USC star returned to action and played in the Packers first preseason game against the Browns only to suffer a hamstring injury that forced him to leave the game early. Lloyd has yet to return to practice in the week and a half since he was sidelined.

That leaves Emanuel Wilson available as the next man up on the depth chart. The second-year man out of Fort Valley State led the NFL in rushing last preseason and made the Packers roster as an undrafted free agent.

This year, he has again looked good in training camp and the preseason. In the first game against Cleveland, Wilson led all Packers players with 67 yards rushing on 13 carries. He also scored a touchdown in the second quarter that put the Pack up 14-3.

While his statistics weren’t as impressive against Denver last Sunday, Wilson still gained a lot of yards after contact according to Pro Football Focus which indicates that the run blocking by the backup offensive linemen was the cause of Wilson’s lack of productivity.

The Packers have two other running backs on the current roster and one fullback. The running backs are Ellis Merriweather and Nate McCrary while Henry Pearson is the fullback.

McCrary played in one regular season NFL game back in 2021 and carried once for minus-one yards. Merriweather has yet to appear in a regular season contest in the NFL. Pearson played two games for the Packers last season but did not run the ball or catch a pass on any of his 11 offensive snaps.

Would the Packers feel comfortable with any of these three options if Dillon and Lloyd are not ready to play in Week 1? Will GM Brian Gutekunst risk rushing back either Lloyd or Dillon or will they look to sign another running back who may be familiar with the team’s offense as a stopgap measure if they aren’t ready to play?

These are the tough decisions facing Gutekunst and the coaching staff as we get closer to making cuts and determining the initial 53-man roster.