MarShawn Lloyd starts against Broncos on Friday

“We’ve obviously been preparing for that in case that happens,” Gutekunst said when asked about Jacobs, who in May was arrested on domestic abuse charges. “But at the same time, I feel really good about the guys we have in that room.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in August that the league would likely suspend Jacobs, though the length of the suspension had yet to be determined. MarShawn Lloyd would likely function as Green Bay’s lead back if Jacobs — who’s dealing with a lingering groin issue — misses regular season games. The oft-injured Lloyd has stayed healthy this offseason and has reportedly run well in training camp and joint practices. In last week’s preseason game against Denver, Lloyd played on 5-of-7 snaps during the first drive with the team’s starters.

Jacobs on Tuesday was seen on the sideline rehabbing and won’t participate on 11-on-11s for the time being. Depending on how long Jacobs sits with the groin issue, MarShawn Lloyd could have a real chance to assert himself as the team’s lead back ahead of the season opener. Packers coaches have praised Lloyd in recent months for his growth as a player and teammate, and he’s impressed in training camp so far. Lloyd should be scooped up in all fantasy leagues this month.

Matt LaFleur said Chris Brooks, who is currently on the NFI list, injured himself while training but is expected to return sooner rather than later. With both the first and the third running back out of commission, MarShawn Lloyd is going to get plenty of reps with the first-team offense. Having missed the bulk of his first two seasons, that’s exactly what the young runner needed. Even if Jacobs isn’t sidelined for long, Lloyd could carve out a small standalone role in his absence. Jacobs is still facing legal troubles as well. If the league were to suspend him at any point this year, Lloyd would be the next man up.

The exact nature of Brooks’ “injury” is unclear. He took part in the offseason program. It could be something as simple as he failed the Packers’ conditioning test. Brooks’ status wouldn’t normally be worth updating, but these are not normal times in the Pack’s backfield as we await word on Josh Jacobs’ legal situation. Were Jacobs to end up suspended, the Packers would have a low-upside jumble that would undoubtedly include some Brooks touches. For now, we will assume he is soon activated. The same cannot be said for resolution to Jacobs’ situation, which appears complex and fluid.

The report first surfaced last month via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, who reported Lloyd underwent a “comprehensive evaluation of his lower-body range of motion and his lower-body and lumbopelvic strength.” A longtime professional sports physician found Lloyd was “overcompensating at his ankle and hip, in part due to residual deficits in his knee from a 2020 ACL tear.” Schneidman called back to his report this week when he re-emphasized the Packers are finally optimistic about Lloyd’s health, but that they have “been optimistic before.” Although Lloyd is still in “any 2026 contribution should be considered a bonus” territory, his status is more important than it was two months ago after Josh Jacobs was arrested on domestic violence charges in May. Jacobs’ case remains open. Despite his absurd downside, Lloyd is the only Packers back with any upside behind the workhorse.

Lloyd’s 2025 season ended with calf and hamstring injuries. The Packers held him out of team drills early on during OTAs, briefly causing a scare. Apparently, this was just precautionary. Lloyd will also “practically have the undivided attention of the Packers’ training staff” from now until training camp. After a recent arrest, starting RB Josh Jacobs’ 2026 season outlook is clouded. If Lloyd can remain healthy — a major If — he will serve either as a capable No. 2 running back or, potentially, as a fill-in starter for the Packers this season.

Brooks opened team drills as the Packers’ starting running back on Wednesday. Fellow backup RB Pierre Strong then subbed in, taking first-team reps as well. Starting RB Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday for domestic abuse and was not present. Presumed RB MarShawn Lloyd practiced on Tuesday, but was limited to individual drills for an undisclosed reason on Wednesday. Injuries derailed Lloyd’s first two NFL seasons, so his absence is worth monitoring.

It’s possible this is just a maintenance-related coaching decision, but it is still slightly concerning. Injuries have limited Lloyd to just 10 offensive snaps through two NFL seasons. Packers starting RB Josh Jacobs was arrested on Tuesday and was not present on Wednesday, allowing the backups to take first-team snaps. Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, Lloyd “took part in team drills during Tuesday’s closed session but did only individual work Wednesday.” Packers RB Chris Brooks began team drills with the first-team offense before subbing out for RB Pierre Strong. The Packers had the day off on Thursday and will resume practicing tomorrow. The Packers “remain optimistic that the powerful and speedy Lloyd can repay the team for their patience,” but he needs to retake the field soon if he hopes to prove his reliability. Hopefully, Lloyd is back in action.

Jacobs this week was arrested in Wisconsin on domestic abuse chargers. The 28-year-old back was booked in jail for battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct, strangulation and suffocation, and intimidation of a victim. Jacobs denies the allegations. If the Packers were to release Jacobs — who has two years and $25 million remaining on his current deal — they would absorb a doable $6.2 million hit to the salary cap for 2026. Jacobs could be facing team and/or league discipline in the coming months, and could miss part of the regular season if the NFL’s investigation into the domestic abuse allegations warrants a suspension. Other running backs on the Packers depth chart include Chris Brooks, MarShawn Lloyd, and Pierre Strong.

Hard to blame him for coming to this conclusion given how injury-cursed MarShawn Lloyd’s career has been thus far, and Schneidman casts Chris Brooks as “a fine situational No. 3 back.” One thing worth noting is that this is regarded as a fairly shallow running back class, so it’s possible that the Packers would have to use a premium pick on one if they wanted a ready-to-play backup in 2026. Schneidman’s “best guess” is that they’ll use a “middle of the draft” pick on one.