No one was happy with the result of the Packers’ Week 1 meltdown in Minnesota, but the loss cut deeper for a select group of Green Bay’s players, including the entire running back room. In the first big outing of his NFL career, starting running back MarShawn Lloyd carried the ball 13 times for a lackluster 37 yards against a Vikings team that ranked 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game in 2025.
It’s hard to say whether the Vikings’ defensive front, the Packers’ weak offensive line, or Lloyd himself is more to blame, but Lloyd unfortunately squandered a massive opportunity. He more than doubled the number of carries he received in his first two years in the league, mustering a measly 2.8 yards per carry for a 46.2% success rate.
To be blunt, nothing about his performance stood out. He wasn’t particularly fast, shifty, or explosive out of the backfield, and he hesitated on several opportunities where he could’ve mustered up a significant gain if he turned on the burners or turned up his physicality.
For now, it’s hard to see Lloyd as more than a serviceable replacement-level backup running back, which has officially put him and the Packers on the clock. If Green Bay wants to have success out of the backfield this season, their options are limited.
They can hope that Josh Jacobs gets reinstated and face the media circus that will follow, seek a new running back in trades, free agency, or by handing the keys to sophomore Kaleb Johnson. Or, they can keep placing their trust in Lloyd and hope that he can prove himself as a more considerable threat than he showed himself to be in Week 1.
With that said, the test is only going to get stronger against an improved defensive frontline in New York. So the implications of Green Bay’s Week 2 visit to MetLife Stadium could jeopardize Lloyd’s best chance at a starting spot.
If MarShawn Lloyd can’t break out against a tough Jets defense, the Packers might need to look elsewhere.
A 25-year-old back out of South Carolina, Lloyd has gotten praise from the Packers’ coaching staff and front office for years while battling through constant injuries leading up to this point. He seems to be a bright spot in the locker room with a good head on his shoulders and a positive, team-first demeanor. Unfortunately, good vibes don’t translate to wins in the NFL, so Lloyd has to do a lot more than talk to earn a more permanent place in Green Bay’s offense.
And the clock is officially ticking, whether that’s fair or not. The Packers aren’t going to throw a season away, and their offense is going to hurt mightily if they can’t figure out how to establish the run. So if the Packers’ run game falls stagnant again against the Jets and they drop to 0-2, Lloyd’s position will be far from secure moving forward.
Ultimately, whether they admit it or not, the Packers are hoping Josh Jacobs will be cleared, or an official suspension will come down so they can bring him back to lead their running back room in the back half of the season. If Lloyd gets it together and performs well, he might force Matt LaFleur into operating in a 1A/1B fashion. But if he continues to play as he did in Week 1, Lloyd could be a surprising cut candidate before we know it.
To make matters worse, New York’s defense looked fantastic in Week 1 — granted, it played against an ugly up-and-coming team in the Tennessee Titans. But they only gave up 68 total rushing yards in their first game of the season, holding Tony Pollard to just 35 yards on the ground.
Lloyd doesn’t have a lot of time to prove himself, and breaking through against this Jets team in Week 2 would be a huge wrinkle in the Packers’ offense that desperately needs some juice from the backfield. It might seem dramatic because we’re so early into the season, but it feels like MarShawn Lloyd is already entering do-or-die territory, and only he can get himself out of it.
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