2 weeks Ago
Marshawn Lloyd simply cannot catch a break. The early part of his career has been riddled by lower body injuries. He had a hip injury to start camp.
That caused him to miss some time. He had a hamstring injury that he suffered in the first game of his NFL career. Lloyd would miss the rest of the preseason and the first game of the regular season due to the injury.
“He’s going to have to get healthy, because we’ve seen what he’s capable of doing in practice but you’d just like to see it in a real game.” Matt LaFleur said after he suffered the hamstring injury. Sunday, it looked like he was past everything, and ready to make a contribution as an NFL player.
Sam Navarro - USA Today Lloyd's explosion and playmaking ability were on display in his NFL debut. He had a carry for more than 10 yards which was called back due to a holding penalty. On the play, however, he showed some impressive speed and athleticism.
On a day when the Packers ran the ball 53 times, Lloyd had six carries for 15 yards. His sixth carry would turn out to be his last for at least a month. Lloyd suffered an ankle injury during the play, and the Green Bay Packers placed him on injured reserve in hopes that he could return a fully healthy player who could help them.
In his place, the Packers signed Chris Brooks to the active roster from their practice squad. Brooks' career began with the Miami Dolphins, and he has some similar traits to what Lloyd has, which could make his transition relatively seamless. Brooks signed in Green Bay on September 3.
He was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in May of last year. Brooks played in nine games for the Dolphins as a rookie last season, recording 19 carries for 106 yards, good for a 5.6 average and appeared in Miami's playoff loss to the eventual world champion Kansas City Chiefs.
How much he'll add to the offense remains to be seen. The Packers could be looking at another run-heavy approach this week if Jordan Love is unable to play. If he is, however, the need for a third back could be lessened, due to the fact the Packers will have more confidence in their passing game.
If needed, however, Brooks will need to be ready to show off his skills and physicality. “Coming into the NFL, I thought my skill was just physicality," Brooks said after making Miami's roster last year. "I probably feel best about that,” he said.
“I’m just working so I can branch off and get all the other skills to be great as well.” Related: Put Up or Shut Up Time for Packers' Pass Rush.
