GREEN BAY – With Josh Jacobs "truly day to day" with his knee injury, according to Head Coach Matt LaFleur, backup Emanuel Wilson could find himself as the Packers' starting running back Sunday against the Vikings.
That would be a first in the NFL for Wilson, but if the undrafted third-year pro is sweating it, he's not letting on.
"Yeah, it's been since college," the Fort Valley State product said after practice Wednesday about entering a game as RB1. "I haven't really thought about it. I just need to go out there and do my job. If (Jacobs) plays Sunday or not, I'll just be ready to go."
Wilson certainly showed as much last week against the Giants after Jacobs hurt his knee early in the second quarter.
He stepped in and rushed 11 times for 40 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown right up the gut for his first score since last season, and for the Packers' first rushing TD this year by someone other than Jacobs, who has 11.
Wilson also caught one pass for 9 yards to jump-start what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. For the season, Wilson now has 289 yards from scrimmage (220 rushing, 69 receiving).
There's never been any question about his abilities in those conventional aspects of the running back position. Where he had to earn the Packers' trust, and playing time, was in pass protection, and he was starting from ground zero there as an undrafted rookie in 2023.
Running backs are responsible for picking up blitzers and chipping other pass rushers, so they have to know all the offense's protection calls and be ready to react to pre-snap changes at the line of scrimmage.
That was no picnic for Wilson coming from the HBCU Division II ranks, but frequent drilling under the tutelage of running backs coach Ben Sirmans and constant pushing from LaFleur got him where he needed to be.
"His rookie year, it was nonstop. I was always in his ear, getting on him pretty good," LaFleur said. "But it's a credit to him in regards to being able to take the coaching and just show up, I would say, with a sense of urgency every day."
He didn't really have a choice. Wilson confirmed LaFleur wasn't lying about that rookie season, admitting it was difficult to meet the head coach's endless demands to get everything in the playbook down and refine his blocking technique.
But he's grateful he was pushed as hard as he was, and he took it as a sign the coaching staff wanted to be able to count on him.
"I mean, Coach LaFleur, he gave me hell, like literally. He gave me hell," Wilson said. "But it helped me out in the long run for sure, just hard coaching. I'd had it before, like in college and high school, but not like this. My rookie year he was on my every day. Every day."
That rookie season ended prematurely for Wilson due to a shoulder injury, but he also credits former teammate and this weekend's counterpart at running back, Aaron Jones, with helping him believe in himself to show he belonged. Jones himself came a long way as a pass protector in his time with the Packers.
Wilson did his part in pass pro in Jacobs' stead against the Giants, picking up Brian Burns coming off the edge on Jordan Love's TD pass to tight end Josh Whyle in the third quarter. The key to blocking a league-leading sacker like Burns?
"Not being scared, honestly," Wilson said.
He'll have to be on his Ps and Qs there Sunday as well with the Vikings and defensive coordinator Brian Flores' blitz-heavy scheme coming to Lambeau Field.
LaFleur acknowledged "it takes a lot longer than your typical game plan" to prepare for Flores and all his different fronts, bluffs and attack modes. That means some extra film study for Wilson and the entire offense.
"Oh for sure. For everybody," he said. "They like, what, blitz like 72 percent of the time? It's going to be a helluva one. We're just still going to be locked into the details that we need to communicate."
There are no worries about Wilson in that regard, whether he's the starter in Jacobs' place or in his typical backup spot.
If he does start? For the record, his last game as RB1 in his collegiate swan song at Fort Valley State saw him rush 28 times for 221 yards and three TDs.
That was a lifetime ago as he's forged ahead as a pro, learning and establishing himself every step of the way. Sunday could become his biggest step yet.
"He's somebody that's been dialed in at all times and learned from the opportunities he's had out there, and I feel like he just got better and better every time," Love said. "I think his understanding of the offense is at an all-time high right now, and it's definitely something that everyone's kind of pushed him for, and he's responded well."
