Marshawn Lloyd has a rule now: no more backflips. The Packers running back found that out the hard way this week, after his touchdown celebration during training camp drew a pointed word from head coach Matt LaFleur — and Lloyd, for one, isn’t fighting it.
“I’ve always been able to do it,” Lloyd said. “Coach LaFleur doesn’t want me to do it no more. He said it was cool, but he said, ‘Let’s not do that.’ If he said it’s over, it’s over.” Lloyd got real about LaFleur’s no-backflips rule in comments posted on X by Jason Wilde:
#Packers head coach Matt LaFleur did indeed tell MarShawn Lloyd, “No more backflips” after his touchdown celebration at practice, but after all of the adversity Lloyd has been through, it’s easy to understand how the joy can be hard to contain for the third-year RB. pic.twitter.com/dALImSkeyT
— Jason Wilde (@jasonjwilde) August 6, 2026
The moment happened during a Thursday practice at Ray Nitschke Field, one day before the Packers’ Family Night at Lambeau. With starter Josh Jacobs sidelined by a groin injury, Lloyd took over as the lead back, scored two touchdowns and celebrated one with a full backflip, according to Fox 11’s day-seven camp recap. LaFleur wasn’t having it. According to the Associated Press, the coach walked over and, with a smile, made clear the acrobatics needed to stop.
Why Lloyd Started Flipping in the First Place
Lloyd said the backflips weren’t planned. They came out of frustration in the running backs room.
“Just feeling good,” he said. “Excited. The running backs weren’t doing any celebrations when we were scoring. The whole offense wasn’t liking that. The receivers came into the running back room, and said you guys need to start celebrating more. I can’t dance. But I know how to do a backflip.”
Lloyd has done backflips since he was 6 years old, and he’d already busted one out this offseason at a charity softball game hosted by quarterback Jordan Love and edge rusher Micah Parsons, per the AP report. LaFleur’s explanation for pumping the brakes wasn’t about the move itself — it was about protecting a player who badly needs to stay on the field. “You never want to overload a guy, especially when it comes to a guy that’s been snakebit a little bit,” LaFleur said, according to the AP. “Certainly I think he’s flashed the ability of he’s an explosive dude who can create some big, explosive plays. I think it’s just we’ve got to continue to be smart and stick with the plan.”
The Injury History Behind the Caution
LaFleur’s concern tracks with Lloyd’s first two seasons in Green Bay. The third-round pick out of USC in the 2024 draft has played in exactly one NFL game, logging six carries for 15 yards. A hip issue opened his rookie camp, a hamstring injury pushed his debut to Week 2, and an ankle injury ended that season early. He didn’t play at all last year, sidelined by an appendectomy and another round of hamstring trouble.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| NFL games played | 1 (rookie season, 2024) |
| Career rushing attempts | 6 |
| Career rushing yards | 15 |
| Draft position | Third round, 2024 (No. 88 overall) |
| College | USC (2023), South Carolina (2020-22) |
That history is why every good sign in camp this summer carries extra weight. General manager Brian Gutekunst has noticed the flashes, according to AtoZ Sports. “I know you guys are here every day, so you’ve seen it,” Gutekunst said. “Every time he’s had an opportunity, when he’s been healthy and out there, he’s been impactful. He’s continuing to do that, and I am excited for him.”
Stenavich: Preseason Will Be ‘a Huge Telling Point’
Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has watched Lloyd’s camp closely, and his confidence is building — cautiously. Speaking with reporters, Stenavich said his trust in Lloyd is growing day by day, according to Packers Wire, though he’s careful not to get ahead of himself given Lloyd’s track record.
“Every day he’s out there and doing it, I have a little bit more. You know, it’s just one of those things, how his career’s gone so far, that I just want to take it one day at a time with him. He’s doing a great job. He’s competing. So I’m very optimistic and hopeful that it works out and we’re good. I think this preseason’s going to be a huge telling point of what we can do with him this year. He needs to carry the ball because he hasn’t done it much in game situations the last two years.”
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, covering camp for the network, separately reported Stenavich fielding a question on whether his confidence in Lloyd has grown, giving the same day-by-day answer — a second data point backing the quote.
Lloyd’s workload matters more now with Jacobs banged up. The three-time Pro Bowl back sat out Thursday’s practice with a groin injury that isn’t considered long-term, per Fox 11, but it’s another reminder of how thin the Packers’ proven depth is behind him. If Lloyd can stay upright through the preseason opener and beyond, he gives Green Bay a change-of-pace element it hasn’t had healthy in two years. If he can’t, the pattern repeats.
