The Green Bay Packers entered the season thin on talent and depth on both the offensive line and the edge rush, pre-existing roster conditions that render injuries to guard Aaron Banks and outside linebacker Lukas Van Ness all the more concerning ahead of Week 2.
Van Ness is navigating concussion protocol, while Banks missed the season-opener against the Minnesota Vikings with knee tendonitis that continues to plague him.
However, ESPN’s Rob Demovsky shared an injury update from the team on Friday, September 18 that equates to relatively good news for both players, without whom the Packers will have a considerably more difficult time winning on the road against the New York Jets this coming Sunday.
Lukas Van Ness practicing but Javon Hargrave not would indicate [LVN] has advanced further in the concussion protocol,” Demovsky reported on X. “Aaron Banks (knee) also practicing for a third straight day. He did so last week but still didn’t play, so nothing definitive at this point. Warren Brinson (calf) still a DNP.
Lukas Van Ness Even More Important to Packers Defense in Absence of Micah Parsons
Superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons remains sidelined for at least the next three weeks as he rehabs from a torn ACL he sustained last December against the Denver Broncos.
Parsons’ absence from the lineup elevated Van Ness into the primary pass-rushing role on Green Bay’s defense heading into his fourth NFL seasons. And while Van Ness tallied just 8.5 sacks across his first three campaigns, he started off 2026 with solid numbers.
The former first-round pick tallied three quarterback pressures, two hurries and one sack against the Vikings in Week 1, per Pro Football Focus.
Green Bay Signed Cordell Volson This Week Amid Offensive Guard Concerns
Banks’ return to the lineup is just as key as Van Ness’s availability with regards to the Packers’ chances to bounce back with a win this weekend. But even if Banks can play, that won’t solve all of Green Bay’s problems along the offensive line.
The Packers had major issues at both guard positions against Brian Flores’s defense in Minnesota last Sunday, which coupled with Banks’ injury to necessitate a free agent addition earlier this week.
Green Bay signed former Cincinnati Bengals offensive guard Cordell Volson to the practice squad on Thursday, per Bill Huber of ON SI.
“The Packers on Thursday signed guard Cordell Volson to the practice squad, where they had one opening,” Huber wrote. “He was on the practice field with his new teammates after a successful workout.”
Volson started 48 of 51 games across three years with the Bengals between 2022-24 before a shoulder injury cost him the 2025 campaign.
The 28-year-old lineman signed a one-year, $3.2 million contract to join the Tennessee Titans during the spring but fell short of making the final roster cut in late August.
Packers Get Good Injury News on 2 Critical Players Prior to Jets Game