The Green Bay Packers found out they would be without Josh Jacobs for the time being as the NFL placed him on the Commissioner's Exempt List.
It might be the end of Jacobs's time with the Packers completely, but until we find out what the future holds for Jacobs, the Packers are in a Super Bowl window. They are already going to be without Micah Parsons on the defensive side of the ball, meaning two of their biggest additions over the past couple of years won't be on the field to start this season.
But fret not, Packers fans: Kaleb Johnson is on the way.
The Packers struck a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2025 3rd-round pick out of Iowa, giving Johnson an early second chance in his young NFL career to step into a really favorable situation.
Packers throwing Kaleb Johnson a lifeline could change his NFL career arc
Playing in 10 games during his rookie season, Johnson had just 69 rushing yards on 28 attempts (2.5 yards per carry).
Even more disappointing than that was the major mental error Johnson made as a kickoff returner during his rookie season. He let a kickoff go over his head and land in the end zone, just leaving it there, where it was recovered by the Seattle Seahawks for a touchdown. He didn't realize it was a live ball when he left it in the end zone, and it felt like he never recovered from that.
Mike Tomlin wouldn't let him return kicks after that point, and it became Johnson's defining moment as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With the Packers' need at the position, he now has a chance to quickly rewrite the narrative.
Johnson was exceptional while he was with the Iowa Hawkeyes, and the offense he played in for Iowa is much more translatable in Green Bay than it was in Pittsburgh. He's going to have to earn carries, even with the Jacobs situation, but the Packers have every reason to believe in whatever upside they felt he had during that 2025 NFL Draft.
Johnson was an All-American in his final year at Iowa with over 1,500 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, and another pair of touchdowns as a receiver. He was one of the most dynamic weapons in the country, and even more impressive considering he was one of the only sources of offense on that particular Iowa team.
He has a great combination of size, power, and the ability to create yardage after contact. In a zone-based scheme, he is the ideal one-cut type of runner who can get north-south in a hurry.
The Steelers giving up on him after just one year might end up being a huge mistake, and for the Packers, that rough kickoff last season could end up being a stroke of good fortune.
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