An excellent start to the season for the Green Bay Packers, after adding Micah Parsons to the roster no less, has masked almost any concerns that fans may have had about the team.
But, up there in terms of potential worries from the fan base would be the health of their third-round pick from last season, MarShawn Lloyd. After suiting up for just a single game in his rookie season, the going hasn’t gotten any easier for Lloyd in Year 2.
Last year, a plethora of ailments, from a problem in his hip to two hamstring injuries to an emergency appendectomy, meant that fans barely got to see him on the field.
Unfortunately, even as he entered training camp injury-free, it did not take long for that to change.
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When Will MarShawn Lloyd Return?
Getting some run this preseason, Lloyd had an exceptional 33-yard reception in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. However, that turned out to be hi lone highlight of the offseason, as he once again went down with an injury.
As was the case in 2024, a hamstring injury befell the second-year back, and he therefore failed to elevate to the backup role to Josh Jacobs the Packers were envisioning for the time being. At the time, head coach Matt LaFleur made it clear that Lloyd would “miss some time.”
But, as ESPN revealed, the general feeling in Green Bay’s locker room was that Lloyd’s injury luck had been as bad as anyone on the team had ever seen. Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans confirmed as much.
However, Sirmans also made it clear that he believes Lloyd will be back and be a game-changer for them. “It’s one of those unfortunate occurrences, but at some point, just the way the guy works, you’ve just got to believe that at some point he will get past all this and be fine.”
Before the season officially got underway, the organization placed Lloyd on injured reserve with a designation to return. This means the earliest Lloyd can be activated is following Green Bay’s Week 4 game.
But the latest reports from RotoBaller suggest that a Week 6 return could be likelier.
For the time being, the Packers have gotten by without additional help to the ground game thanks to an excellent defensive unit. However, as the season wears on and competition toughens, they’ll need a trustworthy name behind Jacobs to stem the tide.