The Green Bay Packers have not made their intentions clear with Laken Tomlinson, whom they signed off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad. However, all indications are that he will be entering the Packers’ starting lineup sooner rather than later.
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich did not completely answer the question, but he made it clear that Tomlinson starting this week is certainly a possibility.
“I think anything is a possibility, for sure,” said Stenavich. “We’re going to do whatever we can to put the best guys out there. We got to see where they’re at.”
Tomlinson has 10,867 snaps at left guard and 65 snaps at right guard. The initial thought is that he would step in and compete at left guard. When asked where he would play, the coordinator noted that they are open to playing him on either side, depending on where the bigger need is.
“But we got to look at what’s best for our team too. So, it’ll be a combination of both of that,” said Stenavich.
Tomlinson signed after the Packers’ Week 3 loss. He not only could get thrown into the lineup as soon as Week 4, but he could be playing a position he has nearly no experience at.
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Stenavich noted that Tomlinson has the experience that would allow him to acclimate quickly to the Packers’ offense.
“He’s a vet, got a lot of experience,” added Stenavich. “He’s familiar with this offense in a lot of aspects. I think he’ll acclimate pretty quickly.”
Stenavich also noted that he has experience working with Tomlinson himself.
“The first time I met Laken was kind of in a circumstance like this when I was with the 49ers, and we traded for him right as the season was starting. It’s crazy how things work in the league, but I was glad to see him.”
Stenavich was the 49ers’ assistant offensive line coach in 2017. The 49ers traded for Tomlinson that season and put him in the starting lineup. The two spent two seasons together in San Francisco.
He knows the system; he has experience and, more than anything, the Packers do not have a strong option starting ahead of him. We could see Tomlinson soon.
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Tomlinson signed a one-year, $1.3M deal with the Packers. Last year, he signed a one-year, $4.2M deal with the Houston Texans. However, 2025 marked the first year that Tomlinson did not play more than 1,000 snaps on offense since the 2017 season.
Age and injuries have started to catch up to him, which is why he was on the Cowboys’ practice squad.
He was a first-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2015 but only lasted two years. After five years with the 49ers, he signed with the New York Jets in free agency. He started for the Jets for two years before joining the Seahawks. In 2025, he spent time with Baltimore and Houston. Overall, Tomlinson has made $59.4M.
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