Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst gave a major update on the status of running back MarShawn Lloyd. The rookie third-round pick has been out for head coach Matt LaFleur’s team since leaving the Colts game with an ankle injury. He’s currently on the injured reserve list. While Lloyd hasn’t played since Week 2, getting the former USC Trojan back will be a huge boost. Particularly for quarterback Jordan Love and the offense as the Packers jockey for position in the stacked NFC North.
When asked about Lloyd’s health situation, Brian Gutekunst confirmed to Packers beat writer, Matt Schneiderman, that the team plans to take him off the IR “pretty soon here, hopefully.” Very encouraging news for a Packers team that is dealing with a few issues at the moment.
The Packers offense will need to step up in the coming weeks
MarShawn Lloyd will add some much-needed depth to Green Bay’s running back room. Josh Jacobs has had a stellar season for the Packers, ranking third in the league in rushing yards. However, there have been some injury concerns for the Packers’ starting tailback recently. Green Bay only has one other running back who is over the 100-yard mark on the season.
While the offense is ninth in scoring, the unit will need to be more explosive going forward, given the recent knee injury to star cornerback Jaire Alexander. The Packers only gave up 24 points in their ten-point loss to the Lions, but Detroit’s offense largely controlled the game. Lions QB Jared Goff completed 18 of 22 passes for a QBR of 89.0, thirty points above his season’s average. Green Bay’s defense was sorely missing Alexander’s presence in the secondary and it is unclear when the two-time All Pro will return.
Going forward, Green Bay has several winnable, but tricky games on their schedule. The next four matchups include two divisional road games at the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions with a home stand in between against the San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins. The two games at home should be even more difficult with the news of Christian McCaffrey’s practice return for the 49ers and Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa rounding back into form.
At 6-3, the Packers are currently third in the NFC North and seventh overall in the conference. They are a game and half up on the Chicago Bears, with two matchups against their rival still on the schedule. Getting the roster back to full strength will be crucial in preventing Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur’s franchise from missing the playoffs for the second time in three years.
