The Green Bay Packers have several players looking to prove themselves coming out of the bye. But one player that is trying to play their way back into the team’s long-term plans is running back MarShawn Lloyd.
Lloyd has become an afterthought in his second year in Green Bay, as a hamstring injury suffered in the preseason caused him to miss the first four games. It also comes on the heels of an injury-plagued rookie season that cost the USC product precious time to establish himself alongside Josh Jacobs in the Green Bay backfield.
With Emanuel Wilson stepping up in his absence, Lloyd may have punched his ticket out of town even though he’s carried the ball just six times for the Packers since being drafted last year. This would make it understandable if the Packers wanted to move on, and they may have found a suitor over the bye week after the Los Angeles Chargers placed Omarion Hampton on injured reserve.
Omarion Hampton’s Injury Could Give MarShawn Lloyd a One-Way Ticket to Los Angeles
Hampton was the Chargers’ first-round pick (22nd overall) in last year’s draft, and his role in the Los Angeles backfield was increased when Najee Harris suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3. With the runway clear, the North Carolina product had a breakout game with 128 yards and a touchdown with five catches for 37 yards in a loss to the New York Giants in Week 4 and was on his way to another solid game with 12 carries for 44 yards and six catches for 26 yards before leaving last week’s loss to the Washington Commanders with an ankle injury.
The injury turned out to be more serious than expected, and Hampton will miss at least the next four games after going on IR Monday afternoon. The Chargers’ next man up in the backfield is Hassan Haskins, who played for head coach Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. But with an average of 3.0 yards per carry in his four seasons in the NFL, Los Angeles could scour the trade market for an upgrade.
This is where Lloyd could come into play. While he hasn’t had the chance to show his ability in the NFL, he was a highly productive player during his time at USC. Lloyd ran for 820 yards and nine touchdowns in his lone season with the Trojans after transferring from South Carolina, but he also excelled with an average of 3.97 yards per contact according to Pro Football Focus.
The last part might be what appeals to the Chargers. Hampton was ninth among qualifying running backs this season with an average of 3.79 yards after contact this season and Harris was excelling at a similar rate with 3.67 yards after contact prior to his injury.
The Chargers are throwing more than they did a season ago and rank just 26th in rushing attempts entering Week 6. But Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman have to be dying for an upgrade, even if it’s just to get through a month without Hampton.
Lloyd hasn’t been activated from injured reserve yet and wouldn’t be an immediate solution. But he could be appealing as soon as he gets healthy and be an insurance policy when Hampton returns. This is where the Packers could swoop in and take advantage of the situation while getting rid of a player that just hasn’t panned out in Green Bay.
