MarShawn Lloyd is nearing the end of a nightmare rookie season. He couldn’t have imagined the awful luck he would endure this year, from the injuries to suffering appendicitis just as he was nearing a return.
Lloyd dealt with hip and hamstring injuries that prevented him from getting crucial snaps over the summer. When he made his Packers debut in Week 2, the rookie suffered an ankle injury that required a period on injured reserve.
After overcoming that adversity, Packers fans understandably had high hopes for his imminent return. Then, more bad news hit, as Lloyd had appendicitis during the same week he returned to practice.
“You can’t make this stuff up,” head coach Matt LaFleur said at the time.
Lloyd went from injured reserve to the non-football illness list. He is eligible to return, but it all depends on his recovery, and LaFleur provided an update this week.
Matt LaFleur leaves the door open for potential MarShawn Lloyd return this season
Speaking on the Matt LaFleur Podcast with The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, LaFleur left the door open for a potential return, but it doesn’t sound imminent.
“I think MarShawn, I would love to see him out there but he’s got to be well enough for him to get back out there,” said LaFleur. “It’s been a tough year for him, obviously, just having the number of injuries, and then you have appendicitis, so I know it’s been tough on him mentally.”
But going back and watching him in the Indianapolis game, you can’t deny the explosiveness this guy has. When the time is right, we’ll certainly let him go out there because he does bring a dimension. Just that explosiveness, his ability to run routes, catch balls out of the backfield, that’s a little different from the rest of the guys in the group.”
LaFleur hardly made it sound like Lloyd was close to playing, but he didn’t rule it out. Moments earlier in the conversation, LaFleur revealed that first-round pick Jordan Morgan will miss the remainder of the season. He didn’t say the same about Lloyd, which means a return remains a possibility.
It’s unclear how many snaps he would get. Lloyd is a rookie and has missed a lot of football, and it would be hard to break into the rotation of Josh Jacobs, Chris Brooks, and Emanuel Wilson. But LaFleur is right that Lloyd offers something different.
Jacobs has consistently worn down defenses. He is a physical runner and rarely goes down on first contact—per PFF, Jacobs has forced 60 missed tackles, the second-most among running backs. Wilson presents a similar problem for defenses, having forced 21 missed tackles.
Lloyd adds something different: Speed and explosiveness.
What’s the last thing a tired defense wants to face after spending the majority of a drive trying to tackle Jacobs? A fresh running back who can sprint past everyone.
Even if Lloyd returns this season, we must temper expectations. He is unlikely to take on a featured role, especially after missing so much time. But all he needs is one play to change a game, and the rookie could add something different to LaFleur’s offense down the stretch.
