THE HIDDEN REASON PACKERS SHUT DOWN MARSHAWN LLOYD BEFORE MASSIVE WEEK SIXTEEN REMATCH
Rookie MarShawn Lloyd is officially out for the season, but Green Bay gains a defensive boost with Brenton Cox Jr. for Week 16.
The Green Bay Packers have officially shut down one of their running backs for the rest of the 2025 season ahead of Week 16’s game with the Chicago Bears.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire, the Packers placed running back MarShawn Lloyd on the injured reserve list again on Friday, December 19, making the move just two days after they activated him from IR for the first time this season.
Lloyd had landed on IR with a return designation during the 53-man roster cutdown on August 26 after injuring his hamstring in the Packers’ second preseason game, forcing the 2024 third-round pick to devote most of the past few months to his rehabilitation.
On December 1, the Packers opened Lloyd’s 21-day practice window to start ramping him back up to potentially rejoin the active roster for the final stretch, but his attempted return hit a snag when he sustained a second hamstring injury at practice in Week 15.
Now, Lloyd must miss the last three games of the regular season and at least one playoff game before he can become eligible to return to the Packers’ active roster, though, at this point, it is unclear whether he will attempt another comeback before next season.
The Packers (9-4-1) will take on the Bears (10-4) at Soldier Field at 8:20 p.m. ET on December 20 for a special Saturday Night Football prime-time event.
Packers Seeking Answers for MarShawn Lloyd’s Injuries
The Packers had high hopes for Lloyd when they selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft, envisioning him as an effective change-of-pace playmaker for their running back rotation behind veteran Josh Jacobs, whom they had only just signed.
Soft-tissue injuries have led to a failure to launch for Lloyd, though. He has dealt with calf and hamstring issues in 2025, but he also faced multiple injuries and a tussle with appendicitis in 2024. When his second season ends, he will have played just one career regular-season game, recording six carries for 15 yards in the lone appearance.
As you can probably imagine, the Packers and Lloyd both are seeking some answers.
“It’s very, very, very unfortunate,” LaFleur said on December 17. “This guy has worked his ass off to battle back, and to be in that spot again, what do you say to him? We’ll continue to investigate and try to figure out why this keeps occurring, but it’s certainly unfortunate. I feel bad; I really do. I feel extremely bad for MarShawn.”
Packers Also Activate Brenton Cox Jr. for the Bears Game
While the Packers may have formally shut down Lloyd, his placement on the injury list is not the only last-minute move that the team made before their rematch in Chicago.
The Packers also activated defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. from injured reserve, paving the way for him to play against the Bears on Saturday in what would be his first game since he injured his groin in Week 1’s season opener against the Detroit Lions.
Cox had been nearing the end of his 21-day activation window, as the team had opened it on December 1 along with Lloyd and rookie defensive lineman Collin Oliver. Now, he will rejoin the 53-man roster looking to bolster the team’s edge-rushing group after the Packers lost All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to a season-ending injury in Week 15.
As for Oliver, the Packers did not activate him from injured reserve and downgraded him to out on their injury report for Week 16’s game against the Bears; however, his 21-day activation window will not close until Monday, so he can still return this season.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”