The Green Bay Packers made a point of telling new cornerback Nate Hobbs, an offseason free-agent signing, to tone down his aggression in practice after he dealt a few hits to his teammates during the first week of 2025 training camp.
After Monday’s first padded practice, though, they might want to remind Hobbs again.
Hobbs’ aggression became a talking point again Monday when local media members noted an incident between him and second-year running back MarShawn Lloyd.
According to CheeseheadTV’s Aaron Nagler, Hobbs delivered a low hit to Lloyd on an outside pitch in practice that resulted in Lloyd limping off the field with team trainers.
“Hobbs goes low on Lloyd on an outside pitch,” Nagler wrote Monday on X. “Good stick but def not what you like to see in practice. [Offensive tackle Zach] Tom gets in Hobbs’ face a bit. Lloyd is limping as he gets up with the training staff.”
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky and other local reporters also noted that Lloyd took his helmet off after he reached the sideline and kept it off while he watched the rest of practice.
Injury Cost MarShawn Lloyd Most of Rookie Season
The Packers never want to see any players limping off the field in practice after taking contact, but it is more disheartening with Lloyd, given how his rookie season unfolded.
Lloyd, a 2024 third-round pick, played just one game and 10 offensive snaps during his injury-riddled rookie season. He dealt with a hip injury early in his first training camp, then suffered a hamstring issue in his preseason debut that kept him sidelined through the first game of the 2024 season. Lloyd then sprained his ankle in his Week 2 regular-season debut, which landed him on injured reserve for the next two months.
The Packers eventually designated Lloyd to return from IR in mid-November, but he sustained another hamstring injury and underwent an appendectomy during his 21-day practice window, which forced the team to shut him down for the rest of the season.
In the months since, the Packers have grown optimistic about Lloyd’s return in 2025 and his ability to fit into their backfield lineup as their No. 2 rushing option behind superstar veteran Josh Jacobs. If the hard hit in Monday’s practice leads to more issues for him, though, the Packers may need to figure out a way to course correct once again.
Packers Have Already Warned Nate Hobbs About Hits
The Packers will hold out hope that Lloyd is OK after getting shaken up in practice and will not miss any time after limping off the field. The sight alone should be enough for the coaches to have another talk with Hobbs about his physicality in practice, though.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters Sunday that he had spoken with Hobbs about toning down his physicality in practice to avoid hurting his fellow teammates. The 26-year-old veteran cornerback had made body-to-body contact with wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks on a few occasions during their third unpadded practice last Friday.
“This is what I told him: I don’t think it’s malicious,” LaFleur said Sunday. “I think it’s one of the things and one of the qualities that we really admired about him, is how he competes. It’s just, we talk about competing for the football. We just don’t want to go through a person, whoever that person is, to make a play on the ball. I don’t mind him going through the hands. We just don’t want him going through the body because that’s how you end up with people on the ground. We’d all be sick to our stomach if somebody got hurt.”
According to WFRV Local 5 Sports’ Cameron Ezeir, Hobbs took “full accountability” for the tackle that knocked Lloyd out of practice and said his priority is to protect the team “first and foremost,” but it is unclear whether Lloyd will miss time following the hit.
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