MarShawn Lloyd wanted to make a statement at Green Bay Packers training camp on Thursday. He did — with his feet leaving the ground twice.
Lloyd hauled in a wide-open slip screen from quarterback Jordan Love for a 5-yard touchdown on second-and-goal, then capped it with a backflip in the end zone. Ryan Wood of USA Today, who was at practice, posted on X: “MarShawn Lloyd catches a wide open slip check from Jordan Love for 5-yard TD on second-and-goal. Does a back flip in end zone to celebrate. I’ll take that as he’s feeling pretty good.” The visible link:
Matt LaFleur just walked up to MarShawn Lloyd coming off the field, and let’s just say the message had something to do with no more backflips.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 6, 2026
Coach Matt LaFleur was not as thrilled. Wood followed up on X that LaFleur “walked up to MarShawn Lloyd coming off the field, and let’s just say the message had something to do with no more backflips.”
The Associated Press was on hand for the exchange and got both sides on the record. Lloyd said the backflip habit dates back to childhood. “I’ve always been able to do it,” he said, according to The Washington Post. He also explained where the idea came from: Green Bay’s wide receivers had been chirping that the running back room wasn’t celebrating enough. “I can’t dance, so I don’t know how to do all the dances they were doing,” Lloyd said, “but I know how to do a backflip.”
LaFleur’s response stopped short of anger but made the point clearly. “You never want to overload a guy, especially when it comes to a guy that’s been snakebit a little bit,” the coach said, per the AP report carried by The Washington Post. “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.”
Why Green Bay Is Being Careful With Lloyd
The caution isn’t about the celebration itself. It’s about who’s doing it. Lloyd, a third-round pick out of USC in 2024, has played in exactly one regular-season game across two seasons. Hamstring strains, an ankle injury, a calf issue and a bout of appendicitis have wiped out most of his availability, according to The Washington Post’s AP report.
This offseason, Lloyd traced the recurring soft-tissue injuries back further than a bad hamstring. He and the team believe he’d been overcompensating with other parts of his leg for a torn ACL suffered in college at South Carolina, according to AtoZ Sports. He sought treatment for the root issue this offseason rather than continuing to manage the symptoms.
That’s the context behind LaFleur’s smile-but-stern reaction on the practice field. General manager Brian Gutekunst has echoed the same wait-and-see optimism. “Every time he’s had an opportunity, when he’s been healthy and out there, he’s been impactful,” Gutekunst said, according to AtoZ Sports. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said his confidence in Lloyd is “growing” the more he sees him stay on the field day to day.
What It Means for the Backfield
Josh Jacobs remains the clear lead back after two straight seasons north of 1,000 yards. But if Lloyd can stay healthy through camp and the preseason, he projects as Green Bay’s clearest No. 2 option, pushing ahead of a group that includes Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks. A healthy Lloyd would give the Packers a change-of-pace threat with the receiving skills he flashed on Thursday’s touchdown.
The real test comes once the pads come on for preseason games. Lloyd’s 2025 season ended before it started when he suffered a hamstring injury during a joint practice window, and last year’s promising camp evaporated in almost identical fashion. Green Bay has seen this movie before, which is exactly why LaFleur wants the backflips shelved — not because of the highlight, but because of what a bad landing could cost the team in September.
The Packers open the 2026 season on September 13 on the road against the Minnesota Vikings.
