Eddie Lacy is set to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his NFL career, but he is looking to stay with the team that drafted with him.

Appearing on the Know Them From Adam podcast on Tuesday morning, Lacy told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that he wants to be return to the Packers, and that the organization has been “very vocal” in their interest about re-signing him:

“Talking to my agent, the Packers have been very vocal about having me back there,” Lacy said.

Lacy, who was a Pro Bowler in 2013 and the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year that same season, is coming off a 2016 season that was limited to just 5 games because of ankle surgery. This was not a good look for Lacy coming off of a disappointing 2015 season, but he was still very productive in those five games.

Despite missing Green Bay’s 11 final regular season games, Lacy finished as Green Bay’s third leading rusher for the season behind star quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Ty Montgomery, who was converted from wide receiver to running back shortly following the Packers placing Lacy on injured reserve.

The Packers traded for Knile Davis after Lacy went down, but Davis ended up getting released by the team after only five carries. They tried out practice quad running back Don Jackson in Lacy’s place, but he also went on injured reserve. They then claimed Christine Michael off waivers, which gave the Packers a stable backup behind Montgomery.

Green Bay has already let go of running back James Starks this off-season, making it all the more likely that Lacy will be wearing green and gold in 2017. Starks’ departure is also a good sign for Michael, as he will also be an unrestricted free agent when NFL free agency opens up on March 9th.

Re-signing Lacy would mean the Packers can be more comfortable when it comes to using their first-round pick on the defensive side of the ball in the 2017 NFL Draft, as there is a need for depth at both cornerback and linebacker with Sam Shields being granted his release at corner, and Julius Peppers likely not returning at linebacker.

Lacy rushed for 360 yards on 71 carries last season, finding the end zone a total of 4 times. For his NFL career, Lacy has rushed for 3,435 yards on 788 carries. His 29 career touchdowns feature 23 rushing touchdowns, and 6 receiving touchdowns.

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