A day after an unflattering photo of Eddie Lacy blew up on social media, Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and his rookie running back were left to dispel suspicion following Tuesday’s second padded practice.
Lifted from one of the Packers.com weekend training camp photo galleries, the image of Lacy turning his body to prepare for a catch went viral on Twitter on Monday afternoon because it seemed to accentuate a soft abdominal region and physique unbecoming an NFL running back.
For a lack of a better term, it made Lacy look fat.
Many national media outlets picked up on the photo, believing it served as confirmation of many scouts’ pre-draft fears about Lacy’s commitment and love for the game.
Listed at 5-foot-11, 230 pounds, Lacy declined to say what his exact weight is when meeting with reporters, other than to claim it’s exactly where he and the organization want it to be.
McCarthy concurred, telling reporters if the team’s second-round pick from April’s NFL draft hadn’t met conditioning requirements, he wouldn’t be on the field.
“Eddie Lacy going through the conditioning tests, he was fine,” McCarthy said. “Any time our players come in, we have a physical, conditioning tests. If we had concerns about any of our guys, they wouldn’t be on the field.”