Packers Place MarShawn Lloyd on Injured Reserve, Promote Chris Brooks

Green Bay Packers rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd’s rookie season went from bad to worse when he was placed on injured reserve due to an ankle injury.

Running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) has been placed on injured reserve. / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers placed running back MarShawn Lloyd on injured reserve on Tuesday. To fill the roster spot, they promoted former Miami Dolphins running back Chris Brooks to the 53-man roster.

Going on IR is the latest setback in a horrible disappointing start to Lloyd’s career.

A third-round pick following a big-play final season at USC, the ankle injury sustained during Sunday’s victory over the Indianapolis Colts marked the third separate injury that’s knocked him to the sideline.

After an impressive offseason, Lloyd and the rest of the rookies arrived for training camp a few days ahead of the veterans. During those workouts before the first official practice of camp, Lloyd suffered a hip injury.

In the preseason opener against Cleveland, Lloyd got the ball twice before suffering a hamstring injury, which knocked him out for the rest of training camp and the season-opening loss against Philadelphia.

Lloyd returned to action against Indianapolis. He carried six times for 15 yards in 10 snaps before suffering an ankle injury that ended his day after 10 snaps.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he said about his status on Monday. “It’s a sprain, so I’ve just got to figure out how. I’m walking pretty good, I’m doing everything pretty good. Just a day-by-day thing. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

He added one reception for 3 yards. His first career touch was a 16-yard run that he bounced to the outside but was nullified by a holding penalty.

“My first run got called back. I feel like I still have a lot to show because I can be used in different ways,” Lloyd said.

The injury will sideline Lloyd for at least the next four weeks – that’s four games and four weeks of practices. He’d be eligible to return for the Oct. 20 home game against the Texans but no doubt would need at least a week of practice before being put back on the field.

The Packers signed Brooks to their practice squad on Sept. 3.

Lloyd is a big-play threat. Brooks is a big threat, period.

Indeed, Lloyd fits the Packers’ big-guy mold. At 6-foot 3/4 and 232 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.63 seconds, had a 37-inch vertical jump and had a Relative Athletic Score of 8.38.

The Packers (as did the Dolphins) are listing him at 219 pounds.

“Coming into the NFL, I thought my skill was just physicality. I probably feel best about that,” Brooks said after punching his ticket onto Miami’s 53-man roster last year. “I’m just working so I can branch off and get all the other skills to be great, as well.”

Brooks rushed for 2,551 yards and 20 touchdowns and caught 60 passes in five collegiate seasons. He spent his first four seasons at California, highlighted by seasons of 914 rushing yards, 22 receptions and 12 total touchdowns in 2019 and 607 rushing yards and seven total touchdowns in 2021. He spent his final season at BYU, where he rushed for 817 yards (6.3 average) and six touchdowns.

Despite excellent size and athleticism, he went undrafted in 2023 and signed with Miami. He made their roster and rushed 19 times for 106 yards (5.6 average). Most of that production came during a 70-20 blowout win in Denver, where he carried nine times for 66 yards during the fourth quarter.

Intriguingly, he broke five tackles, gained 65 yards after contact and had a long of 52 yards in that game, according to Pro Football Focus. He broke nine tackles in 19 carries.

“It’s a tough room because there’s a lot of guys who’ve played ahead of him,” Dolphins running backs coach Eric Studesville said last year. “He doesn’t bat an eyelash and when he gets his opportunity. He’s made the most of them.”

This preseason, he played in two games and rushed 17 times for 103 yards (6.1 average). He forced five missed tackles and averaged 4.65 yards after contact per carry. His preseason was highlighted by a 59-yard run.

However, Brooks suffered a concussion. With Miami’s excellent running back depth, he was released with an injury settlement.

“I feel like not getting drafted, I really wouldn’t look at it as a low, I’d say it’s an opportunity,” Brooks said last year. “It’s an opportunity that not too many guys have and I can either take advantage of the opportunity or I could just let it go to waste. I chose to take advantage.”

Lloyd credited veteran Josh Jacobs for keeping him upbeat during a trying time to his career.

“Every time I get frustrated, I have a guy like Josh Jacobs,” said Lloyd, who rushed six times for 15 yards. “He knows, he’s been through it. Every time I say something about it or I’ll come up to him and I’ll say like, ‘Can’t catch a break,’ Josh will stop me right in the nick of it and be like, ‘It happens.’

“Like he said yesterday, who cares? Who cares? That’s something that I really like that he said to me. ‘Who cares? Just do what you can do. Accept the adversity and just get better.’ At the end of the day, there’s going to be something that comes good that comes out, so I’m just taking things day by day and, eventually, I’m going to be ready to go.”

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