The Green Bay Packers made a change to the practice squad coming out of Week 1 and ahead of Week 2. On Monday, the team announced the signing of running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the practice squad and the release of Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad.
Strong (5-11, 207) was a fourth-round pick of the New England Patriots during the 2022 draft. He has played in 46 career games across three NFL seasons, producing 422 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 99 carries, catching 26 passes for 193 yards and returning 24 kickoffs for 570 yards.
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Last season, Strong carried 26 times for 108 yards and caught 14 passes for 74 yards across 14 games with the Cleveland Browns. He also returned 11 kickoffs for 255 yards.
The Browns waived Strong from injured reserve on Sept. 2. He had been released with an injury designation after suffering a concussion. During the preseason in 2025, Strong rushed 18 times for 114 yards, including 89 yards on 13 carries against the Philadelphia Eagles.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Strong ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds, hit 36″ in the vertical leap and covered 10-4 in the broad jump.
Strong was a three-time All-Missouri Valley Football Conference pick for South Dakota State. He rushed for 4,527 yards and 40 touchdowns, caught 62 passes for 581 yards and three touchdowns and actually threw six touchdown passes for the Jackrabbits. Strong rushed for over 1,000 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2018, scored 10 rushing touchdowns of at least 50 yards in his collegiate career, and led the FCS in rushing with 1,686 yards in 2021.
Strong will wear No. 22 — Matthew Golden’s old number — with the Packers.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers swap running backs on the practice squad ahead of Week 2