Paul Bretl | 9/1/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers were back on the practice field Sunday afternoon ahead of their Friday matchup in Brazil with the Philadelphia Eagles. All 53 players on the Packers’ roster were in pads and practicing, including rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd.
Due to a hamstring injury that Lloyd had suffered in the team’s preseason opener against Cleveland, he had been sidelined the remainder of training camp and missed the final two preseason games.
“It’s been rough, definitely rough,” said Lloyd about missing time. “I love this game. But it’s minor little thing, minor injuries. I just know once I get past this little hump, it’s go-time. So just do the right things, take care of my body as much as possible, learning, getting some stuff from the older guys as far as how they treat their bodies and stuff like that. just learning, learning. I’ve learned the last three weeks just from different ways to treat my body. Just putting more into it. So I’m excited about it.”
There was no official injury report for Sunday, but following practice LaFleur said that Lloyd was limited but he’s continuing to do more and more. The team will give him the week to see how he’s feeling and determine from there if he will suit up or not.
In addition to missing practice time with a hamstring injury, Lloyd missed several practices at the start of training camp as well, dealing with a hip injury at that time. By this time, Lloyd is well versed with the Packers’ playbook, but there is always a big difference between knowing what to do and applying it on the football field in a live setting. Like any rookie, what Lloyd needs right now are reps.
“You feel like he can handle most of the playbook,” said Matt LaFleur following roster cuts. “It’s not like he hasn’t been learning. It’s just the application of taking it from the classroom and applying it in a real game setting, you wish you had a little bit more exposure.”
The neck injury to AJ Dillon that landed him on injured reserve has forced the Packers to change course in regards to the puzzle at the running back position. Of course, Josh Jacobs was always going to be the lead back, but the playing time behind him has been up for grabs, and Dillon figured to be a relatively big part of the offense this season.
Dillon brings a very well-rounded skill set to the Packers backfield, able to provide a steady presence as a ball carrier, pass blocker, and pass catcher. That versatility and reliability provides flexibility for LaFleur as a play-caller and prior to Dillon’s injury, we were regularly seeing two running back sets during training camp practices.
“It’s really discouraging because we had a pretty clear vision for what he could do, and it wasn’t just going to be as a runner,” LaFleur said. “The versatility is what I was most excited about, just being able to do a lot of different things in regards to some of the stuff we did a year ago with him when we had some of our two halfback sets.
“It certainly leaves us with a void, but I mean that’s life in the National Football League. You gotta adapt or you die, so we’d better adapt.”
If possible, the Packers will want to get Lloyd on the field in some capacity against the Eagles. We’ve heard on a few different occasions this offseason some iteration of Lloyd bringing a different element to the Packers backfield. You can see that when he has the ball in his hands with the burst and acceleration he brings.
However, depending on Lloyd’s availability and how much the Packers want to put on his plate, Emanuel Wilson could end up being the Packers’ backup running back in Friday’s contest.
Wilson had another impressive preseason performance, averaging 4.2 yards per carry on 37 attempts. He again proved difficult to bring down, forcing 10 missed tackles and averaging 3.57 yards after contact–ranking top-five this preseason out of 28 eligible running backs.
While it’s great to have that playmaking ability as depth behind Jacobs, if Wilson is going to see steady playing time this season, he will have to continue to show that he can be on the field for all three downs, specifically helping in the passing game whether that be as a pass-catcher or a pass-blocker. Although Wilson has improved in both areas since joining the Packers as an undrafted rookie in 2023, those elements are still a work in progress as well.
“He’s come along,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich when asked about Wilson’s impact in the passing game. “He’s still got a ways to go, but he’s come along and he’s doing a good job.”
There is the potential that this Week 1 matchup against Philadelphia could turn into a hefty workload for Jacobs in his debut with the team. This, of course, would not a new role for him. In 2022, when Jacobs led the NFL in rushing and was named an All-Pro, he finished that season with 340 carries, averaging 20 per game.
In addition to Jacobs’ ability as a ball carrier, he’s also a proven pass-catcher. During his five seasons with the Raiders, Jacobs was targeted 244 times, totaling nearly 1,500 receiving yards. And what makes Jacobs a truly valuable player in the passing game is the variety of responsibilities and roles he can be asked to fill in that regard.
“There’s not a route, I would say, that he can’t run,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable. “I would say the most impressive thing above everything has been his hands. They’ve been exceptional.”
As good as the Packers’ passing game has the potential to be, a strong run game coupled with that ability through the air can take the offense to new heights. A capable running game opens up the playbook for an offense and keeps the defense off-balanced and guessing. While Jacobs certainly will provide stability, at the moment, there are some unknowns behind him and how that puzzle will end up fitting together.