Packers Cut RB James Starks

The Packers have cut running back James Starks, according to the league’s official transactions wire. Starks’ release comes under the non-football injury designation. The running back finished the season in concussion protocol following a car accident and that’s presumably the driving force behind the NFI tag. James Starks

The Packers were without starter Eddie Lacy for much of the season and a good chunk of Starks’ absence overlapped with that period. The injuries forced Green Bay to get creative in the backfield, turning to wide receiver Ty Montgomery as a ball carrier. The Packers also had former Chiefs running back Knile Davis on the roster for a cup of coffee, but he did not do much in his brief time there.

All in all, Starks finished the season with 145 yards off of 63 carries plus 19 catches for 134 yards and two scores. The 2.3 yards-per-carry average stands as the worst of his career.

Starks will turn 31 on Feb. 25 – a very advanced age for any tailback – so it remains to be seen how much interest he’ll encounter once he’s healthy. It’s also possible that he considers retirement after a productive seven-year career which includes one Super Bowl ring. If the Packers bring him back, it will almost certainly be at a lower rate than the $3MM he was slated to make in ’17.

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