Help may be arriving for the Green Bay Packers’ backfield as December begins. The Packers designated running back MarShawn Lloyd for return from injured reserve on December 1, opening his 21‑day practice window and allowing him to rejoin drills without counting against the 53‑man roster.
Lloyd has battled a string of injuries since being drafted in 2024, but he returned to practice and discussed his status and mindset this week as the team considers a potential activation.
Latest MarShawn Lloyd Injury Update
Lloyd’s pro career has been punctuated by setbacks: hip issues last summer, a preseason hamstring, an ankle IR stint, and later appendicitis requiring surgery. With that, it was back to injured reserve, where he must’ve asked himself a lot of “Why me?” questions.
Returning to practice in early December, he said he is again “ready to play,” detailing how he stayed mentally engaged through meetings and testing while rehabbing away from the field.
“Confidence is really good. Confidence is really good,” Lloyd told reporters last week. “Now it’s just getting back into football. Getting back into football, catching the ball, running the ball, just getting back into football shape.” Lloyd also noted he kept up with team routines and intended to be game‑ready once activated.
“I’m not going to sit here and say it wasn’t challenging because it happens here, happens there, happens – I’m a human,” Lloyd said. “Only person who really knows how I feel was my girl from when I go back home, because I did talk to her and different things. Just having the right people around you.”
He added that conversations with the club psychologist helped keep his mindset stable while he worked back.
“But you got to deal with it. You got to deal with it,” Lloyd said after practice on Wednesday. “I had one of my teammates come up to me and asked me, ‘How do you do it?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ “It’s hard. It’s definitely hard, but you got to keep your faith. You got to keep your faith, and you got to keep good people around you just to make sure you keep yourself in the right mind.”
Is MarShawn Lloyd Playing in Week 15? Packers RB’s Playing Status
Designation to return means Lloyd can practice, and the Packers can activate him at any point during the 21‑day window, but no activation has been announced yet. The Packers’ depth chart features Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs, with Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks in reserve, allowing the staff to be measured against Lloyd’s timeline as he builds football conditioning.
Coaches have praised Lloyd’s explosive traits as a runner and receiver since draft day; injuries have limited him to one game across two seasons. The current process aligns with the Packers’ IR protocol: he will not count against the active roster while practicing, and the team has three weeks to decide on his activation.
If he is cleared and added to the 53, his role would likely begin behind Jacobs with situational carries and passing‑down looks, subject to how he responds to practice workloads. Jacobs has rushed for 648 yards and 11 touchdowns this season. PFSN’s RB Impact ranking gives Jacobs a solid 81.9 grade for his performance in 2025.
Lloyd’s own words frame the return as both physical and mental. He said he maintained a strong connection to team prep through meetings and weekly tests, and that “mental is good,” even if the journey was “challenging.”
From here, Week 15 availability will hinge on whether the team believes he is far enough along in football shape and recovery to contribute, and whether a roster move is executed inside the window. Until then, his status remains designated for return, practice, and evaluation.
