Friday’s Packers Transactions: What They Mean vs. Eagles

The Green Bay Packers did not elevate quarterback Sean Clifford from the practice squad for Friday night’s NFL Week 1 showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. They did elevate running back Ellis Merriweather.

Here’s a look at the transaction that was made – and the moves that weren’t made.

Activated: RB Ellis Merriweather

At running back, MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) and Emanuel Wilson (hip) were questionable. Following Thursday’s light workout in Sao Paulo, the Packers listed both players as limited participation.

The Packers have three backs on the practice squad: Ellis Merriweather, who competed for a roster spot during training camp, La’Mical Perine, a former fourth-round pick, and Chris Brooks, who played for the Dolphins last year and joined the practice squad a few days ago.

Merriweather signed with the team in November, making him the natural choice to provide depth for Friday night.

Lloyd missed most of training camp due to injuries. In the preseason opener at Cleveland, he got two touches and dropped out with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the rest of training camp.

Lloyd practiced on Sunday and Monday in Green Bay but did not on Tuesday.

“No setback. He had two good days and it’s just part of the process,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday.

He added that he was “confident” that Wilson would be ready after another strong preseason. Among running backs, Wilson ranked second in the preseason in rushing yards and broken tackles and first in yards after contact.

Also, the Packers released running back Nate McCrary from the practice squad with an injury settlement.

Not Activated: QB Sean Clifford

The Packers acquired quarterback Malik Willis from the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 26. While he had a foundation in LaFleur’s offense due to the similarities between the schemes – LaFleur was offensive coordinator in Tennessee in 2018 – the 11 days between the trade and Friday’s kickoff represented what seemed to be an absurd timeline for Willis to be ready for emergency duty.

But, he pulled it off. He will be Jordan Love’s backup while Clifford – who along with rookie Michael Pratt was released in the wake of the Willis trade – will spend the night in street clothes.

Willis was hyped as a potential first-round pick in 2022 but wound up being taken by the Titans in the third round. He started three games as a rookie, but the Titans drafted Will Levis in 2023, which closed the door on Willis.

Willis completed 53.0 percent of his passes with zero touchdowns, three interceptions and a 49.4 passer rating with the Titans. This preseason, though, he completed 74.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns, one interception and a 104.7 rating.

Coming to Green Bay, even as a backup to Love, represented a fresh start, even if the timing wasn’t ideal.

“It’s just cramming it in and seeing what he can handle, seeing what he likes, what he’s familiar with and building from there,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “You don’t have to put the whole playbook in for him, but you can just find out his favorite plays, what he likes to do and go from there as you progress throughout the season.”