The Green Bay Packers have enjoyed a fast start at training camp, which is just what the team and its fans want to see. While the Packers have made it to the postseason in each of the past three years, they have just one win to show for it, and considering how much talent is on this roster, it’s safe to say that expectations for this team are quite high in 2026.
In order to accomplish their goals, Green Bay is going to have to stay healthy. Injuries are bound to happen, but the team is going to do whatever it can to keep its best players on the field. With that in mind, head coach Matt LaFleur recently sent a clear message to MarShawn Lloyd and Christian Watson regarding one of their on-field celebrations.
Matt LaFleur Bans MarShawn Lloyd, Christian Watson From Doing Backflips
Green Bay hasn’t exactly been the most injury-prone team in the league over the past few years, but it has struggled to get all of its top players on the field for long stretches of time. Lloyd and Watson, who are both healthy for the time being, have had their fair share of injury woes, so the Packers understandably want to do what they can to protect these guys.
A third-round pick in 2024, Lloyd has played in just one game so far in his career, thanks to injuries. Watson, meanwhile, has proven himself to be a talented wide receiver who is capable of making plays deep down the field, but again, he cannot stay on the field enough in order for his contributions to make a massive difference for his team.
At practice recently, Lloyd and Watson have been breaking out some of their celebrations when they score touchdowns, one of which has seen them do a backflip. LaFleur doesn’t want to take any unnecessary chances with these guys’ health, especially when it comes to celebrations, so he told Lloyd and Watson to cool it on the backflips.
“I’ve always been able to do it,” Lloyd said when speaking to reporters recently. “Coach LaFleur doesn’t want me to do it no more … He said it was cool, but he said, ‘Let’s not do that.’ … He told (Watson) the same thing: Stop doing them.”
Matt LaFleur, Packers Have High Hopes for MarShawn Lloyd and Christian Watson
GettyGREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – NOVEMBER 02: Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers walks off the field after a loss to the Carolina Panthers after the game at Lambeau Field on November 02, 2025 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Lloyd and Watson have both been doing backflips for quite some time, but it’s not an outrageously safe celebration. If these guys were to land the wrong way, that could lead to a serious injury. While their intentions were pure, at the end of the day, this isn’t the sort of risk this team needs to be worrying about.
LaFleur quickly put an end to this backflip celebration for the time being, and sure, it may be a bit strict, but considering how much time both Lloyd and Watson have missed in recent years, you can’t fault him for wanting to be overly cautious. Maybe this ban will be lifted once the regular season rolls around, but for now, you won’t see any Packers players doing backflips in the near future.
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