The Green Bay Packers received bad news on Tuesday. Running back MarShawn Lloyd will miss significant time with an ankle injury he suffered against the Indianapolis Colts last Sunday. Therefore, he has been placed on injured reserve.
It has been a tough sequence for the rookie third-round pick. Lloyd had already handled a shoulder injury during training camp, which made him miss two preseason and one regular season game. The game against the Colts was his regular season debut, and he had six carries for 15 yards, plus a three-yard reception.
By being on IR, Lloyd has to miss at least four games, versus the Tennessee Titans, Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams, and Arizona Cardinals. The earliest the rookie can return is in week 7, when the Packers face the Houston Texans.
Intriguing move
This is Chris Brooks, whom the Packers just promoted to the 53-man roster.
— Wendell Ferreira (@wendellfp) September 17, 2024
As a corresponding move, the Packers made an intriguing addition to the 53-man roster, promoting running back Chris Brooks from the practice squad.
The 24-year old player spent his rookie season with the Miami Dolphins in 2023 and averaged 6.3 yards per carry in 15 attempts. This year, he competed for a roster spot again, but was ultimately beaten by veteran Jeff Wilson.
The Packers had signed Brooks to their practice squad on September 3. The fact that he has already been promoted to the 53 two weeks later, surpassing Ellis Merriweather, is a positive sign about what Green Bay’s coaching staff has seen from him.
Now, the Packers still have three running backs on the 53-man roster — Josh Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson, and Brooks. Merriweather is the only one on the practice squad, since the Packers released La’Mical Perine last week. There’s also fullback Andrew Beck on the PS.
Several issues
The Packers have handled multiple injuries at the running back position this year. Over the last two weeks, both Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson appeared on injury reports. Lloyd has had shoulder and ankle injuries, and veteran AJ Dillon was placed on the season-ending injury reserve with a neck injury.