Along with the New England Patriots, the Green Bay Packers have made eight consecutive playoff appearances. Unlike Tom Brady and company, the “Cheesheads” haven’t made nearly as many trips to the Super Bowl over that span. The franchise’s last NFL championship came back in 2010 as a wild card team. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers capped off a great playoff run by winning Super Bowl MVP honors. Fast forward three years later and the talented signal-caller got some sizable help in the backfield as the team used a second-round pick on running back Eddie Lacy.
But the former workhorse’s tenure with the club is coming to an end after four seasons.
From cheese to salmon
Courtesy of ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Lacy will sign a one-year deal with the Seattle Seahawks. The NFC West champions had their problems running the football in 2016, finishing 25th in the league in rushing yards per contest. After running for 1,100-plus yards in his first two seasons in the league and racking up 3,001 total yards from scrimmage over that span, injuries have taken their toll for the Green Bay Packers’ four-year pro. This past season, he was limited to five games and finished with 360 yards rushing on 71 carries without a touchdown. Now he hopes to have a bounce back season with a franchise that knocked the Pack off in the 2014 NFC title game.
How this affects the Packers
You will recall that a year ago that the Green Bay Packers did manage to reach the NFC title thanks mainly to the arm of Rodgers and the talents of his pass-catching corps. The team’s ground attack finished 20th in the NFL when it came to rushing yards per game. Lacy’s sustained absence hurt. Converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery wound up leading the team with 457 yards on the ground.
But it was Rodgers who led the club by running for four touchdowns. Now Montgomery is the team’s main threat out of the backfield and is now a full-time member of the backfield. With Lacy gone and James Starks cut earlier this offseason, the former Stanford University standout is in the spotlight. But will be able to handle a heavy workload? Stay tuned.
