The Green Bay Packers' backfield is dealing with some questions ahead of their Week 15 meeting against the Denver Broncos. Not only is No. 1 running back Josh Jacobs' status for Sunday still up in the air, but Packers fans have also been eagerly waiting to see if this would finally be the week when the banged-up MarShawn Lloyd would finally make his 2025 season debut.
The Packers opened Lloyd's 21-day return window on Dec. 1, meaning time is ticking for him to get on the field or risk missing the rest of the season. He logged back-to-back limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday, though, leaving Green Bay fans hopeful that this weekend would finally be the time for Lloyd to prove his worth, especially with the RB room shorthanded.
Unfortunately, Lloyd's debut is being put on hold again. According to the Packers' latest injury report, the second-year RB missed Friday's practice completely due to a hamstring injury he's recently picked up in addition to his previous calf ailment.
MarShawn Lloyd's Newest Injury Adds to Packers' Ongoing Headache
Lloyd was a red-hot prospect when the Packers drafted him, having just set career highs across the board in his first and only season with the USC Trojans. Much to Green Bay's dismay, though, it's been largely a downhill experience since then, as Lloyd's never-ending injury saga held him to just one regular-season appearance as a rookie.
Although he's yet to be ruled out of Week 15, it's hard to imagine Lloyd facing the Broncos. Not only because Denver owns one of the most punishing defenses in the NFL, but because the 24-year-old runner is dealing with a new injury, and it's yet to be revealed how severe it is.
If it's a lengthier injury, Packers fans can assume Lloyd won't take the field this season. After the looming Broncos showdown, Week 16's matchup against the rival Chicago Bears is the last remaining game inside his practice window. Missing that would shift his focus from this season to playing a big role next season, which will be difficult if Emanuel Wilson is brought back after taking advantage of Jacobs' missed time.
Lloyd's ongoing absence wouldn't be as bad if the Packers' backfield were firing on all cylinders, but that isn't the case. The unit is only averaging 117.2 rushing yards per game (19th) and 4.1 yards per carry (24th), so it's easy to see how Green Bay could use a dynamic RB who averaged a whopping 7.1 yards per carry at USC in 2023, which ranked 10th-best in the nation that season.
It'll be interesting to see what the next few weeks mean for Lloyd's future with the Packers. He's a skilled player on a rookie contract, so there are financial incentives to keep him around. At the same time, do the Packers really want to spend another year playing the "will he, won't he play?" game?
Needless to say, monitoring Lloyd's progression (and setbacks) down the stretch will be atop of most Green Bay fans' priority list. At least, if they aren't too worried about being let down again.