The Green Bay Packers have found themselves in a familiar dilemma awaiting the day MaShawn Lloyd returns to the lineup healthy. But if the latest reports are any indication, the Packers might be done with waiting for a day that may never come. Packer Report's Easton Butler tweeted that the Packers are exploring running back trade options with a number of teams looking to add to the position. It's important to note that Butler isn't an official team reporter or an especially established source on the Packers beat, but this is still a situation worth monitoring. And it brings to mind a real conversation on Lloyd's future.
Should the Packers be looking to upgrade the backfield that already features Josh Jacobs? Already, it has been made clear that this is a franchise viewing the 2025 season as a Super Bowl or bust season. The moment the blockbuster deal for Micah Parsons was struck, this was the mindset. Lloyd hasn't taken the field consistently and doesn't offer you the star power to feel even better about an already talented offense. Looking to bring in a more electric playmaker to complement the punishing style of Josh Jacobs makes a great deal of sense.
MarShawn Lloyd’s Days Are Numbered If He’s Not Healthy by the Trade Deadline
If the Packers were to make a trade, it could be the last straw for Lloyd as the former 3rd-round pick looks to establish himself in this offense. He was supposed to be the home-run hitter to contrast Jacobs in the backfield, but he has missed 23 of a possible 24 games (including playoffs) since being drafted.
Even if Lloyd returns ahead of Emmanuel Wilson on the depth chart, any trade addition would likely slot in ahead of him at RB2. And that would leave Lloyd on the bench and entirely expendable.
Looking at the landscape of potential targets, Jerome Ford, De'Von Achane, and Alvin Kamara stand out as exciting possibilities. Even with the blockbuster addition of Parsons, the Packers continue to have plenty of cap flexibility to make an impact move at the position. Much of this is due to the fact that this is an incredibly young core; the franchise hasn't been forced to pay yet.
All of this spells bad news for Lloyd if the report is accurate and the franchise follows through with a move. This buzz isn't from the most well-established source in the industry, but even working through it as a hypothetical helps realize just how much Lloyd could be on thin ice.
Of course, Packers fans will hope we don't need to explore this situation at all. Lloyd returning to action and looking like the big-play threat he was drafted as would be a huge bright spot for the season. But few will be holding their breath waiting for that to happen.