Chris Brooks has only been in Green Bay for a little over two weeks, but the former Miami Dolphins running back has made a big impression on coach Matt LaFleur.
The Packers signed Brooks to the 53-man roster after placing rookie MarShawn Lloyd on injured reserve on Tuesday.
Hearing LaFleur talk about Brooks on Wednesday, it’s possible he’ll have a legitimate chance of making an impact at running back this year and beyond.
Among the things LaFleur said about Brooks:
On his first impressions of Brooks: “Very, very impressed.”
On Packers’ interest: “He’s a guy we were looking at towards the end (of training camp) as a potential guy we would be interested in (adding).”
On his 2023 tape with Dolphins: “Super impressed with him. Looking back at his tape from a year ago.”
On picking up the offense: “A lot of carryover with some terminology he learned in Miami with Mike McDaniel and what we do here. There are some similarities so I think it’s helped pick it up faster.”
On his temperament: “He’s a very serious guy about ball.”
On his running style: “I love his running style. He runs with a good forward lean. He’s got great body control. He can stick his foot in the ground; he’s one of those one-cut runners.”
On football IQ/pass protection: “He’s really intelligent so he’s picked up our protections no problem. So I’m excited about him.”
On special teams: “And he brings value to the third phase of ball as well.”
With Lloyd set to miss at least four games, Brooks has a real chance to build on his first impression and become a trusted contributor for LaFleur on offense and Rich Bisaccia on special teams.
Brooks (6-1, 219) made the Dolphins’ roster as an undrafted rookie in 2023. He carried 19 times for 106 yards (5.6-yard average) across nine appearances during the regular season in Miami. He forced nine missed tackles and had two runs over 10 yards — including a 52-yarder against the Broncos and a 28-yarder against the Panthers — on just 19 attempts. He went on injured reserve on Oct. 20 but returned on Dec. 19.
Over the last two preseasons, Brooks rushed 39 times for 207 yards (5.3-yard average) and two touchdowns. He broke 12 tackles, had six runs over 10 yards (including a 59-yarder), gained nine first downs and caught four passes for 48 yards.
As a runner, Brooks has proven hard to get to the ground and highly capable of creating explosive runs.
On special teams, Brooks played 118 snaps across four different phases — kick return, punt return, kick coverage and punt coverage — while with the Dolphins last season, including a 13-snap appearance in the AFC Wild Card Round.
Brooks became available after he was waived by the Dolphins with an injury designation in August. The Packers signed him to the practice squad on Sept. 3.
Brooks went undrafted out of BYU in 2023. He rushed for 817 yards and averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 2022. Before transferring to BYU, Brooks spent his first four collegiate seasons at Cal. In 2019, he produced 1,080 total yards and 12 total touchdowns for the Golden Bears.