Green Bay’s backfield is suddenly up for grabs, and Marshawn Lloyd may be the name to watch.
The Packers are expected to be without Josh Jacobs for potentially several weeks after he was placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list in the wake of his May Domestic Violence arrest and misdemeanor charges. That opens the door for a much different look in the run game, and it could create a real opening for an unheralded Packer to step forward.
At ESPN, Dan Graziano pointed to Lloyd as a breakout candidate who could wind up changing the conversation in Green Bay’s backfield.
“The Packers have had high hopes for the oft-injured Lloyd for a while,” Graziano writes for ESPN. “Josh Jacobs is opening the season on the commissioner exempt list amid allegations of domestic violence, and his future with the team is uncertain. It seems Lloyd will get the first crack at the starting job, and the coaching staff likes what it has seen from him throughout the offseason and training camp.
“Even if Jacobs is cleared to come back (and there’s certainly a world in which he is not), he has no more guaranteed money left on his contract after this season, and the Packers could be transitioning at running back anyway. If Lloyd shows he can handle the job and stay healthy, he could keep the RB1 role.”
For Lloyd, the path is clear: stay healthy, take the first shot at the job, and make it stick. If he does, he could emerge as a major piece of Green Bay’s offense this season.
In Other News...
Packers Quietly Added A Week 1 Name Fans Should Not Overlook
The Packers spent the final stretch before roster cutdown making the kind of moves that can shape the first month of a season just as much as the headlines from August. One of the quieter changes was the trade of backup quarterback Kyle McCord to Miami for a 2028 sixth-round pick, but the more relevant additions for Green Bay came on the field: veteran tight end Jonnu Smith, running back Kaleb Johnson and tight end Mark Redman all arrived with a chance to matter early.
Johnson is the name that stands out because the Packers may need him sooner than expected with Josh Jacobs still on the commissioner-exempt list. Redman is more of a developmental piece, still waiting for his first regular-season snap, but the depth chart now has a different look than it did a week ago. For a team trying to thread the needle between immediate help and longer-term value, these are the kinds of late roster additions that can quietly end up carrying real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Update Could Change The Packers Opener Decision
Josh Jacobs legal situation has taken on added significance for the Packers because the calendar has moved up. His initial court appearance, originally set for Nov. 17, has been rescheduled for Sept. 10, a date that arrives much sooner and could force the issue while Green Bay is still trying to map out its early-season backfield plans. Jacobs is dealing with two misdemeanor charges, battery and criminal damage to property, and he remains on the NFL Commissioners Exempt List as the league continues its investigation.
For the Packers, the timing matters almost as much as the case itself. An earlier hearing creates a chance for the NFL to have more clarity before any long-range roster or playing-time decisions need to be locked in, including whatever the team is thinking about for the opener. The situation is still fluid, but the shift in court date could change the pace of everything around it, from the leagues discipline timeline to Green Bays planning for one of its most important offensive pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Finally Confront A Matthew Golden Problem Fans Saw Early
Brian Gutekunst did not spend much time dancing around the issue when he discussed Matthew Goldens rookie season. The Packers general manager acknowledged the wide receiver was underused, saying Golden simply did not get as many opportunities as he should have after drawing only 44 targets and finishing with 361 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Golden did show more impact late in the season, and Gutekunst pointed to a strong training camp as another reason for optimism heading into this year. For a player Green Bay clearly believes can do more, the real question is whether the offense will finally make good on that early promise and give him a larger role when it matters. [Read more 🡒]