There was a running joke last year among Green Bay Packers fans that Zayne Anderson wasn’t a real person. Given how little we’ve seen of him since being drafted by Green Bay in 2024, MarShawn Lloyd is also starting to feel like a figment of our imagination.
After hip and hamstring injuries sidelined the rookie third-round pick for most of the summer, Lloyd injured his ankle just six carries into Green Bay’s home opener against the Indianapolis Colts. Just as he was nearing a return, Lloyd had to undergo an unexpected appendectomy in November. After recovering from that setback, he suffered yet another hamstring injury, ending any chance of seeing the field again that season.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Lloyd said after the 2024 season. “That’s the thing that went through my head. I’ve always tried to (say), ‘OK, why did this happen?’ But at the end of the day, you just gotta go with it.”
Lloyd finally made his preseason debut against the Colts after missing the opener versus the New York Jets with a groin injury. However, his day was cut short by another injury after a 33-yard catch in the second quarter.
Marshawn Lloyd with 33 yards on the wheel route
😤🧀🏈pic.twitter.com/WdpjMEW1rY
— Packerfan Total Access- Clayton (@packers_access) August 16, 2025
“To be honest, I have not (seen a player experience such terrible luck), and I don’t think any of us have, or very few of us have,” Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans said. “It’s one of those unfortunate occurrences, but at some point, just the way the guy works, you’ve just got to believe that at some point he will get past all this and be fine.”
Lloyd opened the regular season on injured reserve with the option to be activated later, which required him to miss at least four games before becoming eligible to return after the bye week. However, he still hasn’t returned.
What makes the situation even stranger is that Lloyd first hurt his hamstring on August 16 — nearly three months ago. Soft-tissue injuries usually don’t linger this long, but the Packers are clearly being cautious, avoiding any rush that could lead to another setback.
When Matt LaFleur addressed the injury in August, he kept things vague, saying only that Lloyd “would miss some time.”
As it turns out, “some time” has stretched into a couple of months and counting.
It’s a frustrating situation for everyone involved. Word out of the building was that Green Bay was impressed by Lloyd’s explosiveness when he worked on the scout team, but his ongoing struggle to stay healthy through his first season and a half is a real concern. Nobody can fault him for getting hurt, yet availability is one of the most valuable traits any player can offer.
Still, even if Lloyd were fully healthy, it’s fair to say he’d likely be no higher than third on the depth chart. Josh Jacobs is one of the premier running backs in the league, while Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks have held their own as capable backups. However, the former Trojan might have the highest ceiling of the group. Still, it will not matter if he can’t stay on the field.
Hopefully, Lloyd can return to action sooner rather than later. Jacobs has already dealt with a calf injury this year, and getting Lloyd back could inject some much-needed energy into Green Bay’s rushing attack, which currently ranks 15th in EPA per rush and 23rd in yards per carry. The Packers need a spark in that area, and a healthy Lloyd might help get the ground game moving again.