Running back Chris Brooks has carved out a role for himself with the Green Bay Packers

In his very short time with the Miami Dolphins, Chris Brooks has become a popular player among some fans, and they’ll get a look at what he’s up to these days on Thanksgiving evening.

And what they will find is a young player who has carved out a good role for himself on a team that appears to be headed toward another playoff appearance.

Brooks doesn’t put up big numbers for the Green Bay Packers, but he has become the team’s go-to third-down defender for Jordan Love and the offense.

“If it’s a third down, like third-and-6, third-and-10, they have to throw the ball, Chris Brooks comes in because he’s a brick wall in pass pro,” said the Green Bay Packers on SI Publisher Bill Huber said during an appearance on the All Dolphins Podcast this week. “In the (Houston) Texans game, when Green Bay had to forfeit to get the win, he had already been with the team for about a month and Chris Brooks is on the field to win the game.”

“He has complete confidence in these passing situations. Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans praised Eric Studesville for his work in getting Chris Brooks to be a good passer.”

Brooks initially joined the Packers’ practice squad after the Dolphins waived him this summer before signing him to their active roster on September 17.

He has played more and more snaps as the season has progressed, recording a season-high 25 offensive snaps on Sunday in a 38-10 win over the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field.

As the third running back on the depth chart, Brooks didn’t have as many rushing opportunities with 17 carries for 64 yards in his nine games. Brooks has also contributed to special teams

Should the Dolphins have kept Brooks?

Brooks showing off his skills shouldn’t be too surprising, as it was his physicality that made him a fan favorite as a rookie free agent in Miami in 2023 and again this year in training camp and preseason.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that he had a 52-yard run in the epic win over the Denver Broncos in the 2023 home opener and a 55-yard run in the 2024 preseason.

Brooks clearly looked like a goalie, but the Dolphins’ decision to draft Jaylen Wright in the fourth round of the 2024 draft – after sending a 2025 third-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the pick – made it Making it even more difficult for him to secure a place in the squad.

In the end, Brooks couldn’t crack a running back corps that included Raheem Mostert, De’Von Achane, Wright and veteran Jeff Wilson Jr. One could certainly argue that Brooks should have been retained instead of Wilson based on his upside and Wilson’s upside. The fact is that Wilson was relegated to the inactive list for most of the season in the final year of his contract.

But Wilson’s experience and familiarity with head coach Mike McDaniel were factors in his favor and in the end, the Dolphins decided to part ways with Brooks.

At least for a short time, he will still have support from a group of Dolphins fans – except, of course, on Thursday night.

Additional reading:

– The Dolphins’ playoff picture through Week 12

– Will Shaq Barrett play for the Dolphins after all?

– Breaking down the Dolphins-Packers initial injury report

This article was originally published at www.si.com/nfl/dolphins/ under the title “How Ex-Dolphins RB Brooks Is Thriving in Green Bay.”