Earlier this week, the Green Bay Packers made a surprising move by adding rookie running back Marshawn Lloyd to their 53-man roster. This decision came shortly before their thrilling victory over the Chicago Bears, after they had activated Lloyd’s practice window, which had been on hold since Week Two due to an ankle injury.
The move was unexpected, particularly since Lloyd had to undergo emergency surgery to remove his appendix over the weekend.
While the surgery was unavoidable, the Packers were faced with a tough choice. Since they had already opened his 21-day practice window, they couldn’t place him on injured reserve without ending his season. In response, they found an innovative solution.
Rather than placing Lloyd on season-ending injured reserve, the Packers added him to the 53-man roster, which allowed them to place him on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) list. Since appendicitis isn’t related to football, this move means that although Lloyd will miss a few games while recovering, he can return later in the season.
With Lloyd technically still on the practice squad while recovering from his ankle injury, this created an open spot on the roster. To fill that spot, the Packers re-signed former quarterback-turned-wide receiver, Alex McGough.
McGough was initially signed by the Packers in the summer of 2023, but was cut after the final roster cuts. He was quickly re-signed to the practice squad, where he gained attention for his ability to play both quarterback and wide receiver, even running routes against the starting defense. His collision with Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander last season sidelined Alexander for a time.
This offseason, McGough agreed to switch positions from quarterback to wide receiver, but an injury limited his participation, leading to his release with an injury settlement.
Now, McGough is back with the Packers, at least temporarily.
