The Green Bay Packers‘ slow start to the 2026 campaign continued in Week 3, as they suffered an ugly 35-14 loss at the hands of the previously winless Atlanta Falcons. There weren’t many positives from this one for the Packers, as they got dominated at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which is the main reason why they came up short.
On defense, Green Bay knows it will be getting superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons back from injury soon, but the offensive line, which is perhaps the most battered unit across the league, has no such guarantees. After getting dominated by Atlanta’s defensive front on Thursday Night Football, the Packers decided to bring in some reinforcements, as they have stolen former Pro Bowl offensive lineman Laken Tomlinson from the Dallas Cowboys.
Packers Sign Laken Tomlinson Off of Cowboys Practice Squad
The No. 28 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Tomlinson has been one of the more consistent interior offensive linemen in the league during his time in it. Tomlinson has bounced around the league in recent years, but during his prime, he was a Pro Bowler with the San Francisco 49ers in 2021.
Tomlinson spent the 2025 campaign with the Houston Texans, where he was tasked with helping fix up a patchwork offensive line. In 10 games (seven starts), Tomlinson was mediocre at best, which likely helps explain why it took him so long to find a new home this offseason. Eventually, the Cowboys came calling and signed him to their practice squad.
While there’s no doubt Tomlinson was a solid depth option for Dallas, injuries are piling up across the league. Simply put, Green Bay needs help along its offensive line, which led the front office to sign Tomlinson off of the Cowboys’ practice squad on Saturday, with the hope being that he can get himself ready for the team’s Week 4 action.
Long-time NFL guard Laken Tomlinson is being signed by the Packers off the #Cowboys practice squad, per me and Mike Garafolo,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported in a post on X. “At age 34, with 162 starts under his belt, Tomlinson will help an O-line that needs it.”
Packers Hoping Laken Tomlinson Can Turn Back the Clock After Recent Signing
Tomlinson isn’t the Pro Bowl-caliber player he once was, but anything would be an upgrade over what the Packers received from their offensive line against the Falcons. With injuries littering this group, Green Bay was forced to trot out a wildly inexperienced group, and it resulted in a nonexistent run game and very little time for Jordan Love in the pocket.
The arrival of Tomlinson won’t automatically clean things up for the Packers, but he’s a veteran presence who has a wealth of starting experience, which is something pretty much every other healthy option at this position lacks. Tomlinson will now get to work on learning his new team’s playbook ahead of a crucial Week 4 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Packers Steal Former Pro Bowl Offensive Lineman From Cowboys