Two Plays Showed Potential of Injury-Prone Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd

MarShawn Lloyd was drafted in the third round by the Green Bay Packers last year to be the backup to Josh Jacobs, and analysts seemed to love him, describing him as an explosive playmaker. However, a series of lower-body injuries, including a hamstring injury during a promising performance against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, have continually kept him in the trainer’s room rather than the playing field. 

His first training camp began with a hip injury. In his 2024 preseason debut, he suffered a hamstring injury that kept him off the field until Week 2, when he made his regular-season debut against the Colts. He carried the ball six times for 15 yards with one reception but was injured once again, this time with an ankle that sent him to injured reserve. 

Due to the ankle, an appendectomy and another hamstring injury, Lloyd didn’t see the field for the rest of his rookie season. 

Coming into training camp this year, Lloyd was eager to prove himself and earn the RB2 spot in a potentially dynamic duo with Jacobs. Unfortunately for Lloyd, it’s been more of the same. Early in camp, he sustained a groin injury that sidelined him for last week's preseason game against the Jets. 

Saturday’s exhibition against the Colts was his first game action since facing the Colts 48 weeks earlier. The Packers got him the ball early and often, with three runs and three targets on the first possession. He carried the ball three more times on the next possession.  

While he didn’t have much room to work in the running game, he showed flashes of the explosiveness that the team has been talking about. His one true highlight came in the air, a 33-yard reception from Malik Willis up the right sideline. He got the matchup he wanted against linebacker Austin Ajiake and used his speed to burn him on the wheel route, and showed off his hands by hauling in the catch down near his knees. 

He stumbled a little bit after the catch, allowing Ajiake to catch up to him from behind while simultaneously taking a big hit from safety Rodney Thomas. He was slow to get up, and that play turned out to be his last of the day. 

He was removed from the game with hamstring tightness, but with his history of injuries, especially lower-body injuries, the team will proceed with caution. He was seen moving around on the sideline throughout the rest of the game, which would seem to be a good sign. 

With six carries for 15 yards with a long run of only 4 yards, Lloyd’s stats don’t exactly jump off the page, but he had a better day than it seems. The catch was obviously his highlight of the game but, on most of his runs, he seemed one cut or one good block short of breaking off big runs. 

Behind what was for the most part a mix of the first- and second-string offensive line, he was fighting hard for every yard he got, and on some plays even having to fight just to get back to the line of scrimmage. 

He looked even better on passing plays, getting open out of the backfield most of the time. A lot of running backs find themselves open just swinging out to the flats as a checkdown, but Lloyd was finding space in the middle of the field.