Having studied all his own film, Jones chalked up the occasional hiccups in pass protection as a rookie to technique issues, not a lack of understanding of the offense or scheme. Running backs coach Ben Sirmans has worked with him on the fundamentals and he feels more confident now, though missing a lot of live, padded reps in training camp was not ideal.

That could be one factor behind McCarthy's declaration on Wednesday that Williams and Montgomery would remain in the "first slot" at running back, with Jones taking a "secondary" role in his first game back Sunday at Washington.

All three held feature status at different times last season, and so far Williams and Montgomery have combined to average a solid 4.0 yards per carry in 2018. McCarthy has been optimistic if not bullish on the prospects for the Packers' ground game after two weeks, based on the progress he's seen since the pads went on early in training camp.

Whether one back emerges as a go-to guy for an extended time this year will come down to production, reliability, and health.

"He's a great slasher as a runner and he's always moving downhill," Rodgers said of Jones. "It's good getting him back in the mix."

After the strong preseason finish, Jones called it both "difficult" and "humbling" to sit out the first two games due to an offseason violation of the league's substance abuse policy. He has vowed to never put himself in that situation again, and the next step in putting it all behind him comes Sunday.