The Green Bay Packers were monitoring the running back situation in Miami. And that’s because they had a specific target in mind: Chris Brooks Jr., a former undrafted player who had an efficient, yet limited rookie season with the Dolphins in 2023.
The Dolphins have a crowded running back room. Roster locks among pieces kept from last year were Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane. They had drafted Jaylen Wright in the fourth round. So the last 53-man roster spot came down to Brooks or veteran Jeff Wilson. General manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel went through the veteran route, cutting Brooks , and he went unclaimed on waivers.
That went exactly how the Packers wanted. So one day after being waived by the Dolphins, Chris Brooks signed with Green Bay’s practice squad. Two weeks later, he’s already a member of the active roster . And the coaching staff thinks he can immediately impact the offense.
“I’ve been super impressed with him,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Wednesday. “Just looking back at his tape from a year ago. There’s a lot of carryover, just with some of the terminology that he learned in Miami with Mike McDaniel and what we do here. So there’s some similarities. I think it helped him pick it up a little bit faster as well.”