Packers offensive piece is reaching a breaking point, and his latest performance makes his role increasingly hard to defend
MarShawn Lloyd entered 2026 with high expectations, and his outing against the Buccaneers added another troubling chapter to a frustrating start in Green Bay.
The Green Bay Packers had high expectations for running back MarShawn Lloyd entering the season. After four games, he’s reaching a point where he’s essentially unplayable. Lloyd has been one of the biggest disappointments of the Packers’ 2026 season, and the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was another proof of that.
Green Bay won 17-14, but Lloyd was once again a non-factor in the running game. He had seven rushing attempts for only 13 yards, an average of 1.9 yards per attempt. That’s a tough number to justify, especially when the other running backs on the roster looked much more productive on the same afternoon.
It’s not the offensive line
It’s fair to wonder whether the offensive line deserves part of the blame. For the most part, it doesn’t. The Packers have an above average run-blocking unit (ninth by run block win rate via ESPN), but the issues up front have mostly come in pass protection. That area got much better against the Buccaneers, and the run blocking has been fine overall.
The difference between Lloyd and his teammates makes that clear. Kaleb Johnson averaged 5.2 yards per attempt, even though he also had a fumble near the goal line. Chris Brooks averaged 7.5 yards per attempt. Those numbers are a bit skewed by long runs, since Johnson had a 31-yard carry and Brooks had a 27-yard carry.
But that’s part of the problem. Lloyd hasn’t been able to generate explosive plays whatsoever. He was fine in the passing game, catching five passes for 36 yards, and he had a nice leap over a defender. He had a fumble that ended up going out of bounds, which doesn’t help his case.
Underlying metrics tell the story
The advanced numbers explain why Lloyd has been a below-average at best, and potentially bad being more realistic, running back for the Packers. Yards after contact per attempt is a good place to start. Lloyd is by far the worst among the three Green Bay running backs in that category: Kaleb Johnson (3.00), Chris Brooks (2.33), MarShawn Lloyd (1.97).
By elusive rating, a PFF metric that measures a player’s ability to make defenders miss and create extra yards, Lloyd sits at 35.3, which puts him ahead of Brooks (25.9) but well below Johnson (85.7). The season-long yards per attempt numbers are even more damning. Through the first four games, Brooks is at 4.7 and Johnson is at 3.8. Lloyd is at only 2.7.
A rushing attack in trouble
It’s essentially Lloyd’s first season in the NFL after two years full of injuries. Therefore, some rust was expected. That might be part of the problem too, since Lloyd might have lost some of his explosiveness.
But it’s not only that. His vision has been deficient. There are plays where it looks like he will take advantage of the blocks in front of him, and then he simply doesn’t get the necessary yards. For a running back, that’s the kind of issue that’s hard to fix in the middle of a season.
The bigger picture is concerning for Green Bay. After four weeks, the Packers rank 32nd in rush EPA and 28th in rush success rate. Losing Josh Jacobs for this initial stretch of the season was always going to hurt, and the team hasn’t been able to overcome his absence with the running backs currently on the roster.
Nonetheless, Lloyd stands out for the wrong reasons. Johnson and Brooks have at least produced more positive results, particularly after contact. Lloyd’s metrics show a player who hasn’t been able to generate anything for the Packers’ offense. If that doesn’t change soon, it’s hard to see how he keeps a meaningful role in the backfield.
