The Green Bay Packers will play one of their biggest games of the year on Sunday when they host the Chicago Bears. With two of their next three games against their main rival, they’ll need all hands on deck to capture the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs that could come with it.
One of the biggest developments could be the return of running back MarShawn Lloyd. Lloyd has become the Packers’ version of Sasquatch over the past two years, showing brief flashes of talent but rarely seen due to a laundry list of injuries. But his latest sighting will come this week after the Packers opened his 21-day practice window to be activated from injured reserve on Monday.
According to independent Packers salary cap analyst Ken Ingalls, the Packers will have two spots on the active roster available in the coming weeks. One came when the Packers released wide receiver Will Sheppard on Monday, and the other will come when they place Devonte Wyatt on injured reserve after a season-ending ankle injury suffered in the Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions.
With one of those spots going to Jayden Reed, the other could be assumed to be Lloyd's. But his return may not be a guarantee with some of the other players set to return.
MarShawn Lloyd May Be Competing For a Roster Spot in the Next 21 Days
Lloyd isn’t the only player trying to get back on the field for the stretch run. Ingalls pointed out that, in addition to Reed, defensive end Brenton Cox is looking to return from injured reserve, and Collin Oliver is looking to return from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list by Dec. 22 – the same day that Lloyd’s window closes.
Green Bay could use Lloyd in the backfield, who can be a speedy, pass-catching complement to Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson. But the argument could also be made for Cox or Oliver to be activated, considering the state of the Packers’ defensive line.
In addition to losing Wyatt for the season, Green Bay’s defensive line is banged up heading into Sunday’s game against the Bears. Lukas Van Ness has been battling a foot injury for the past two months, and Karl Brooks is also nursing an ankle injury, creating the need for reinforcements in the trenches. While putting Van Ness on IR with hopes he can get healthy for the playoffs is a possibility, it would be kicking the can down the road for Cox or Oliver (and perhaps both) to rejoin the team.
This brings us to a crucial turning point in Lloyd’s career. If Lloyd doesn’t perform well in practice or gets hurt again, it may be the final nail in the coffin for his time in Green Bay. If Lloyd flashes the talent that made him a third-round pick in the 2024 draft, the Packers may choose to bring him along while having to make an important decision between Brooks and Oliver.
It’s just the latest obstacle Lloyd has to overcome in a NFL career that has gone sideways, but it could be the development that finally gets him on the field and contributing for the Packers in the final stretch.