It’s been a disappointing season for Eddie Lacy, his third in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. Still, it’s too soon to give up on the 25-year old running back just yet.
Lacy ran for over 1100 yards in each of his first two seasons in the league, giving the sense that the Packers finally have a running back they can trust and pair up with Aaron Rodgers. But it’s been difficult for him in 2015, losing the starting job to James Starks, and dealing with what people think are weight problems among other, smaller injuries, like the one that kept him out from the 18-16 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Lacy has just 308 yards on 83 carries with two touchdowns. Those are abysmal numbers, with his speed and power suddenly disappearing on most of his plays. Sure, the Packers offensive line is struggling in both pass protection and blocking this season, but Lacy simply seems like a different guy; a worse player. And when running backs starting declining so steeply, even when they’re 25, it’s easy to find them rolling out of a spot on the team and even in the league. Just look at Trent Richardson.
Starks is still going to be the starting running back for the Packers as they try to get their season back on track following three consecutive losses in a very difficult road game against the Minnesota Vikings. However, with Mike McCarthy quite pleased with what he’s been seeing from Lacy in recent training sessions, his time back on the field with plenty of snaps might be coming. If he doesn’t make the most of this opportunity, then it might be time to start asking questions about whether or not his NFL career is at risk, or was this simply a one-year slump.