The Green Bay Packers used one of their two injured reserve/designated to return spots on running back MarShawn Lloyd during the team’s cutdown to 53 players on Tuesday, meaning the 2024 third-round pick will miss at least four games to start the 2025 season before he’s eligible to return.
All NFL teams now get two injured reserve spots to use during final roster cutdowns. These players go on injured reserve before the setting of the initial 53-man roster but can return during the regular season, unlike previous years when any player going on injured reserve before cutdowns would be done for the season.
Lloyd, who endured a nightmare rookie season with injuries and ailments, suffered a hamstring injury during his preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts and will now get an extra month to heal the soft-tissue injury.
It’s possible Lloyd will miss more than four games. He can be designated to return after missing four games, which opens up a 21-day practice window. A player can be activated at any point during the 21-day window, so Lloyd would have a three-week period to ramp up after missing so much time.
As a rookie, Lloyd missed time with hip, hamstring and ankle injuries, and missed time late in the season after having an appendectomy. He played in only one game. By the time Lloyd is eligible to return in 2025, he will have missed 21 of his first 22 NFL games.
At running back, the Packers kept Josh Jacobs, Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson, so there’s no rush on bringing back Lloyd.
The Packers also placed offensive lineman Jacob Monk on injured reserve/designated to return list due to a hamstring injury. Monk was in line to be a backup at center and guard to start the 2025 season.
All teams get eight return from injured reserve designations — when Lloyd returns, he will count as one of the eight. Same with Monk.
A third player — safety Omar Brown — was placed on injured reserve. Brown suffered a chest/lung injury and spent several days in an Indianapolis hospital. His season is over unless an injury settlement is reached.
On Wednesday, players can be placed on injured reserve without having to miss the entire season. The Packers have several 53-man roster players who could still end up on injured reserve, including rookie receiver Savion Williams, rookie defensive end Barryn Sorrell and safety Zayne Anderson.
