Packers work out RB Mark Thompson on Monday

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC in Houston, the Green Bay Packers brought in running back Mark Thompson for a workout on Monday. Thompson is coming off of a 2022 USFL campaign for the Houston Gamblers where he ranked at the top of the league in missed tackles forced and rushing yards after contact. In total, Thompson carried the ball 114 times for 463 yards (4.1 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns in the USFL.

The former Florida Gator originally signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent in 2018, which led to a practice squad stint in Baltimore and eventual future contracts with the Detroit Lions and Las Vegas Raiders in 2019 and 2020. The Packers actually worked out Thompson in November of 2020 following his release from the Raiders practice squad.

Last year, before his USFL season, Thompson was charged with felony assault and robbery for a road rage incident that involved two teens near Florida’s campus. This is how the Gainsville Sun described the incident:

Thompson is accused of removing an assault-style rifle from his car, looking at both women and saying, “I should shoot you.” He also was accused of forcefully pulling the 19-year-old driver out of the SUV and throwing away her cell phone, which she had been using to record the encounter. That was the basis for the robbery charge.

Media outlets have not updated the story, so it’s uncertain if this is still an ongoing legal matter for Thompson or one that has been resolved.

Currently, the Packers only have two running backs on their active roster: Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Jones left the Chicago Bears game with a shin injury that has been bothering him for weeks, but head coach Matt LaFleur would later say that the team was conservative with his injury and he is expected to be ready to play after the bye week.

Running back Patrick Taylor, who at one point was on the active roster, has been elevated three times from the practice squad this season. This means that either Taylor has to be added to the 53-man roster this week or the team will have to look in another direction for their third running back on game day. For example, if Thompson signed in Green Bay, he could be elevated off of the practice squad three times without taking up one of the spots on the Packers’ active roster. The same could be said of running back Tyler Goodson, who has been on Green Bay’s practice squad all season and has yet to be activated.

Update:

The Packers worked out a total of six players today, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. This included tackle Jean Delance, who the team worked out back in November, and center Michael Menet, who was with the team in training camp. Menet was recently made a high draft pick for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL. Delance was originally a pre-draft visit for Green Bay who signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. Most recently, Delance was a member of the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad.