Christine Michael is headed back to the Green Bay Packers after all. According to sources, the running back is re-signing with his latest team. The specifics of the deal are not yet known, but they begin to help address a problem created by the departure of other running backs in free agency. ESPN's Field Yates first reported the deal.
A somewhat welcome return
Michael joined the Packers on November 16 as a waiver claim for a team struggling with injuries to their two primary running backs. He did not fare terribly well when coming over from the Seattle Seahawks, though.
He came in every so often to spell Ty Montgomery, a converted wide receiver while coping with his injury bug come playoff time. He rushed for just 114 yards in six games, with 42 of those yards coming on a single touchdown run.
Green Bay is likely banking on his potential going forward. He was a second-round pick out of Texas A&M back in 2013, where he was once his conference's Offensive Freshman of the Year. After kicking around the NFL for a little bit, Michael was given a chance to break through with the Seahawks, and he did to some capacity. It wasn't enough to fend off other charges, though, resulting in his ouster from Seattle.
Coming from a place of desperation
The Packers may not have had much of choice but to bring Michael back into the fold.
The team watched Eddie Lacy depart in free agency (to the Seahawks, ironically enough) and released James Starks, leaving the cupboard bare at the running back position. The franchise was facing criticism for not doing enough in that realm of the game during free agency.
They may not be done yet, though. The running back class in the draft is strong and a potential option for the team to look at.
Green Bay has also been a much-rumored destination for former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who remains one of the tops unsigned free agents. If the team were to bring him in, he would likely displace Michael as a starter for the 2017 season this year.
