Packers RB a 'full go' after lost rookie season

After an extremely disappointing rookie season that saw him miss all but 10 offensive snaps, Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd is ready to make a comeback for his sophomore campaign. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, running backs coach Ben Sirmans told the media that “everything’s full go for” Lloyd at this point.

With last year’s offseason addition of veteran free-agent running back Josh Jacobs, not much was going to be expected of Lloyd in the Packers offense, anyway. Jacobs rebounded from a down 2023 season with 1,329 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season in Green Bay. That didn’t mean there weren’t touches for other backs, though, as Emanuel Wilson was able to contribute 502 yards and four touchdowns on the ground, as well.

As a third-round pick out of USC, it was expected that Lloyd could have been that impactful RB2 for the Packers before injury and illness stole his season. He had experienced a similar disappointment as a five-star freshman at South Carolina, missing his first year due to a torn ACL. He was slowly worked back into the offense as a redshirt freshman and didn’t become a starter until 2022. Although he scored 11 touchdowns that year, he only racked up 573 rushing yards. He then transferred to joins the Trojans and, with only five more carries, was able to increase his rushing total to 820 yards with another nine touchdowns.

In the running backs room in Green Bay, neither Lloyd nor Wilson offer much physically different from Jacobs. All three rushers are around 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds. There isn’t really a specialized scatback or short-yardage option or receiving back in the three. If all backs are fully healthy, though, Lloyd should hold the advantage to land a change-of-pace role over Wilson.

If Lloyd can establish himself as an impact performer in limited time, the Packers may feel comfortable moving on from Jacobs as they get into the later, more expensive, and cap-eating years of the veteran’s current contract. At this point, though, Jacobs has proven to be plenty worth his deal, and Lloyd has plenty to prove in his first healthy year in the NFL.