After the Packers traded Preston Smith to the Steelers at Tuesday’s deadline, general manager Brian Gutekunst was asked about the team’s plan to fill his vacated roster spot. The Packers didn’t bring aboard any fresh faces, nor did they sell anyone other than the 31-year-old Smith. However, Lloyd, their third-round pick this past spring, could be the acquisition many hoped for.
“We’ve got MarShawn Lloyd coming off IR here pretty soon, hopefully, that could factor into that,” Gutekunst said, weighing some of the roster-juggling decisions he’ll have to make.
Tight end Luke Musgrave will likely be returning at some point this season after undergoing ankle surgery, so the Packers will have to plan for that as well. Some other players who could wind up seeing promotions from the practice squad include defensive lineman Jonathan Ford, cornerback Robert Rochell and the newly-acquired linebacker, Jamin Davis, who was released by the Commanders on Oct. 22.
Lloyd has been struck with the injury bug twice in his young career. He tweaked his hamstring on an eight-yard carry in the Packers’ preseason opener and was shelved for the rest of the summer. Surprisingly, he wasn’t placed on injured reserve to begin the season, but after sustaining an ankle injury against the Colts on Sept. 15, he would wind up being sent there anyway. He’s been eligible to return since Oct. 14 after missing the mandated four games.
There could be some concern surrounding Lloyd’s availability in the future, especially at such a violent position. He missed the entirety of his freshman campaign at South Carolina after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament during practice. Once he was back in the lineup, though, Lloyd enjoyed a pair of relatively injury-free collegiate seasons, even after transferring to USC in 2023.
The Packers will want to eventually see what they have in the rookie tailback, but given how well they’ve run the ball this season without him, it’s fair to assume that 2024 could wind up being a redshirt season. Between Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks, who signed to the Packers’ practice squad on Sept. 3 and already found himself being promoted to the 53-man roster two weeks later once Lloyd exited the rotation, they haven’t skipped a beat. They’re currently fifth in rushing yards per game and fourth in total rushing yards amassed across the league.
Wilson, who has led the league in rushing in each of the last two preseasons, has been a fine No. 2. He’s seen some of his work dwindle in the past two weeks while the Packers have made more of an effort to involve Brooks, but you can’t exactly go wrong with either member of their trio. Perhaps the Packers can do better than Brooks, who dropped a red-zone pass from Jordan Love in this past Sunday’s loss against the Lions that would’ve gone for a touchdown. That could be a play that Lloyd makes and the sole difference between scoring six points and settling for a field goal against arguably the best team in the conference.
There won’t be anyone coming for Jacobs’ job. He’s been everything the Packers could have hoped for and more after signing a $48 million dollar contract with the team during the free agency period. With the way he’s performed through the first half of the season, that can be considered a bargain.
Jacobs is third in the league with 762 rushing yards and fifth in total yards from scrimmage with 890. He has three rushing scores and a fourth coming through the air—the first of his career.
“Josh is a guy that’s going to fit in anybody’s offense,” said head coach Matt LaFleur on Monday. “I just think going back to just how he goes about his process—he’s a pro’s pro. You see it every day. He’s the same guy every day in his approach, how he approaches practice, how locked in he is, what kind of teammate he is. He’s got great work habits, whether it’s on the practice field or in the weight room, the training field—he goes about his business and he does a great job.
“I think we can all agree the way he plays—he plays the game the right way. He runs with the mentality that he’s a tough guy to bring down and I think he’s done a great job in the run game and in the pass game. I’ve seen his improvements in our pass protections. He’s done a great job out of the backfield catching the ball, so I can’t say enough great things about him.”
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 10th season covering the Green Bay Packers. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter @zacobson or contact him via email at [email protected]
