The Green Bay Packers were looking to snap out of a two-game skid against the New York Giants on Sunday. But as much as they couldn’t afford another loss, they also couldn’t afford another injury.
The Packers had a slight scare when Jordan Love left the game in the first half. But while the Packers’ star quarterback returned, Josh Jacobs wasn’t as fortunate as he injured his knee on the same drive Love got hurt and did not return to Sunday’s 27-20 win over the New York Giants.
Jacobs’s status will be one of the biggest storylines this upcoming week as one of the most reliable players on the Green Bay offense. But if he’s out for an extended amount of time, the spotlight will shift to the progress of backup running back MarShawn Lloyd, who has been battling his own injury demons.
MarShawn Lloyd’s Return Could Become Crucial for Packers After Josh Jacobs’s Injury
Lloyd has become an afterthought in the Packers backfield because he’s spent most of his time in Green Bay rehabbing an injury. After battling hip, hamstring and ankle injuries with a bout of appendicitis mixed in during his rookie season, Lloyd suffered a groin injury during the Packers’ second preseason game last August and has yet to return to the field.
While Lloyd’s injury has forced him to miss the first 10 games of the season, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky had a positive update, noting that Lloyd and Jayden Reed were working off to the side during Thursday’s practice and “working up a sweat” could be the first signal that Lloyd could return to the field soon.
If Lloyd can make his way back to the field, the Packers may have considered it a luxury. A third-round pick in the 2024 draft, Lloyd ran for 1,621 yards and 19 touchdowns during his time between South Carolina and USC. He also had a 33-yard reception before he left the second preseason game with an injury, showing that he can be a dynamic player who can get involved in the passing attack.
But Jacobs’s injury could make Lloyd more of a necessity going forward. After running for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, Jacobs saw his yards per carry drop from 4.4 to 3.8 this season entering Sunday. But he’s still been able to maintain his efficiency with a 50.6% success rate and a big part of Green Bay’s red zone attack with 11 touchdowns.
Emanuel Wilson is also on the roster, but after running for 61 yards on 11 carries during an Oct. 26 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he has just 18 carries for 58 yards.
While Wilson had a touchdown on Sunday afternoon, he doesn’t appear to have the upside that Lloyd has in the backfield. It makes the Packers not only cross their fingers with hopes that Jacobs has a minor injury but also hope that Lloyd can finally make the impact they’ve been waiting for.