Today’s Packers Practice Update: It’s His Time, And He’s Fired Up About It

GREEN BAY, Wis. – At Green Bay Packers practice on Wednesday at Clarke Hinkle Field, after the quarterbacks and running backs went through their usual routine of secret handshakes, MarShawn Lloyd took his spot at No. 1 in the running back rotation.

That presumably will be his spot on the depth chart when the Packers kick off the 2026 NFL season at the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 13. A player with six carries as a rookie, zero carries last season and one career game of 20-plus carries in three seasons in college will be the main man in the backfield to start the season.

“I play ball. That’s it. I’m just ready to play ball,” he said after Tuesday’s practice. “I’m looking for any opportunity. I haven’t played in two years, so anything is good for me.”

With Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner’s Exempt List over allegations stemming from a Memorial Day Weekend incident, Lloyd went from unable to carry the ball at all for most of his two-year NFL career to having to carry – at least to some extent – the backfield to open the season.

It’s unthinkable really: Jacobs had 301 carries for the Packers in 2024. Lloyd has 297 carries the last five seasons combined.

Ready or not, it’s time.

Fortunately for the Packers they believe he’s ready. Or …

“As ready as he’s ever been since he’s been here,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “He looks good. He’s handling all the physicality, the things that he needs to as a running back. It was good to get him out there and feel that.

MarShawn Lloyd gets the ball at practice pic.twitter.com/XL8QQzJGlp
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 2, 2026

“I think one of the things, particularly the running backs, the ball-carriers, receivers, tight ends, when they haven’t played a lot, protecting the ball, taking hits – all those type of things – you need some of that to get ready. I think he’s ready. He’s really eager. He’s a running back in the National Football League. To think he’s not going to get dinged up and have to play through that would be naïve. I think his mind is right and he’s ready to go. We’re excited to see what he can do. Each week he can be out there, you’re going to see a better and better MarShawn.”

Lloyd has had perfect participation on the practice field, dating to the start of OTAs in May. He said his “body feels good” after getting through his first training camp as a pro, a stretch that included the first two preseason games.

Now, at long last, after week after week spent rehabbing injuries during his first two seasons, it’s Lloyd’s time to show what he can do and reward the team for its continued faith.

“It’s definitely something you have to think about,” Lloyd said. “You never in 100 years think something like this will happen, but you got to be ready and the coaches have been able to help me to be ready, and I’m ready whenever my number’s called. So, I’m excited for what’s to come, so it’s been fun enjoying being on the field a little more.”

Lloyd won’t have to do it alone. But there’s no doubt he’s going to enter the season as the No. 1 back. Joining him on the depth chart are Chris Brooks, a physical player who has yet to prove he can be more than a third-down role player, and Kaleb Johnson, who was acquired in a trade on Sunday and Lloyd had never met.

Lloyd had seven touches in his one and only regular-season game against the Colts in Week 2 of his rookie season. During his lone season at USC in 2023, which was his final season of college ball, he had only one game of more than 15 touches.

“I’m ready to play as much as they want me to play,” he said. “I’m excited. It’s a dream come true playing for the Packers so, however much carries I get, however much they put me in the game, I’m ready to go.”

Packers Injury Report

As was the case on Tuesday, defensive tackle Warren Brinson was the only player who did not practice. The second-year player was one of the team’s most improved players during training camp.

“Warren’s a really talented player. I think we saw it last year,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “I think I’ve said this a million times, I feel like: It’s the consistency at which you go out there and perform. Yeah, it’s a bummer that he’s been out, but I think he’s got a bright future. He’s just got to keep stacking day after day after day and show that level of consistency that I know that he’s capable of doing.”

His potential loss could be Anthony Campbell’s potential gain. Campbell made the team as the seventh defensive tackle, an absolutely incredible and unthinkable feat.

“I would say every time we went out there, the guy was making plays,” LaFleur said. “In the run game, in the pass game, he was getting after the quarterback, affecting the quarterback, batted more balls down than probably anybody we have. So, he consistently did it.”

A Lot to Learn

The Packers last weekend signed tight end Jonnu Smith and traded for running back Kaleb Johnson and tight end Mark Redman.

What’s the acclimation process been like?

“It’s like drinking water out of a fire hose,” LaFleur said. “There's a lot of information that they got to be able to digest and then go out there, and we'll see where they're at. It's great that we have these three practices. We'll have another walk through next Monday, but just to kind of try to get them up to speed as quickly as possible.”

There’s a lot to learn, which means spending extra time with the position coaches. However, they don’t have to know everything now. They need to know what they need to know, which is learning the plays on the game plan or, at least, learning the plays for their specific role in the game plan.

“Ttypically when you get [into the season], especially when you get into game planning, you kind of pare everything down,” LaFleur said. “It does make it a little bit easier to digest it all, and then you can kind of get them ready for practice by going through the script.”

Transaction

The Packers added two specialists to their practice squad. One is Lenny Krieg, the German-born kicker who will fill the international role.

The other is long snapper Scott Daly, a sixth-year player who snapped in all 17 games for the Lions in 2021 and 2022 and the Bears the past two seasons. The former Notre Dame player, who is 32, was wearing No. 46 at practice.

The Packers have one more spot to fill on their practice squad.

What’s Next?

After Wednesday’s practice, the team will get an extended (and mandatory) break before returning to practice on Monday to start practice for the opener at Minnesota.

The reinforcements have arrived for the Packers. Here's the story (and plenty of video) from today's practice. ⬇️https://t.co/scWTbH1kc6
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 1, 2026

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