GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers designated three players for return from injured reserve on Monday, with the 21-day return-to-play windows opened for running back MarShawn Lloyd, defensive end Brenton Cox and rookie Collin Oliver.
Lloyd suffered a hamstring injury during the second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, Cox suffered a groin injury in Week 1 against Detroit and Oliver hasn’t practiced since the rookie camp due to a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, receiver Jayden Reed, who was designated to return the Friday before the game against the Vikings, could be on the field for Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.
“The plan is to see where he’s at at the end of the week and, if he’s good to go, then …” coach Matt LaFleur said, cutting himself off. “He’s got to get cleared first. I know he’s back to practicing but he’s ultimately got to be cleared to go out there and play in a game.”
Reed, a second-round pick in 2023 who led the team in receptions and receiving yards in each of his first two seasons, was playing through a foot injury before he sustained a broken collarbone making a catch in Week 2 against Washington. He had surgery on both injuries.
“It would be huge” to get him back on the field, fellow receiver Christian Watson said on Monday. “We’re definitely going to be a better football team with him out there, so excited to get him back whenever that is – hopefully this week.”
Getting Reed back in the lineup would, indeed, be huge for the Packers, who have won three in a row before their first-place showdown against the Bears. There will be great sense of urgency for Lloyd and Oliver, though Cox could provide some key snaps once fully acclimated.
Green Bay’s defensive line has been depleted by injuries with standout defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt out for the season with an ankle injury and defensive end Lukas Van Ness struggling to return from a foot injury.
Van Ness returned to the lineup against Minnesota after missing five games but made it through only six snaps. He was inactive against Detroit and in a walking boot in the locker room on Monday.
“It just wasn’t exactly where I wanted it to be,” he said. “Was hoping to get back on the field and return to play, played a limited amount of snaps and it didn’t feel quite right yet, so just back on the rehab plan and hoping I can turn the corner shortly.”
Cox emerged as an impact player down the stretch last season. He was a healthy scratch for the first 10 games but had four sacks, five tackles for losses and seven quarterback hits during the final seven games. That’s more sacks than Van Ness had all of last season.
“Just staying humble, keeping my head down and working,” he said at the end of the preseason. “I come to work every day with a serious mentality to get better.”
Lloyd’s injury history is a mile long. A third-round pick last year, he’s played in only one game.
As a rookie, he joined the rest of the newcomers in arriving a few days early for the start of training camp. Lloyd sustained a hip injury, which sidelined him for the first couple weeks of full-squad practices.In his lone preseason game as a rookie, Lloyd sustained a hamstring injury, which sidelined him for the rest of training camp as well as Week 1.In Week 2, Lloyd made his NFL debut against the Colts. He touched the ball on seven of 10 snaps before sustaining an ankle injury that sent him to injured reserve.As he was about to return to game action for the midseason matchup at the Bears, he was stricken by appendicitis and had an appendectomy. That required Lloyd to return to injured reserve.At the end of the season, Lloyd tried one final time to get back on the field but sustained a hamstring injury.This year, Lloyd suffered a groin injury at training camp on July 28. In his preseason debut, Lloyd caught a 33-yard pass against the Colts but injured his hamstring.
The Packers recently sent him to see a specialist in hopes of getting him through the soft-issue injuries.
“Talking to the medical people, talking to him, they feel like he’s in a pretty good spot right now,” LaFleur said recently.
If he returns to the lineup, he’d have to fight for snaps behind Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks.
“He’s pretty excited about some of the things that he’s doing in terms of his preparation, but you’re always cautious about it now because every time you see him make a step and you see how exciting that he is as a runner and what type of weapon he could be, something happens,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said recently.
“So, you cautiously proceed at his return, but he was saying, ‘This is going to be it. This is the last time,’ so I’m going to be optimistic about it. I know he’s pretty charged up that he’s finally figured out all the different things and that he’s going to be ready to go. And I told him, I said, ‘You going to come back at the right times.’”
Oliver was a fifth-round pick this year who had extensive experience at Oklahoma State as an impact pass rusher and off-the-ball linebacker. He has not participated in a full-squad practice since he was drafted, so there’s a long way to go before even considering giving him a role on defense.
“He’s unique because of his athleticism and speed,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said after final cuts. “He kind of played multiple roles, not only on defense, but in special teams, as well. So, I think there’s a way that he could come out there and help us, whether that’s situationally, special teams or even on defense, as well.”
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