The Green Bay Packers will field arguably one of the five most suspect offensive lines in the NFL in Week 1, and that’s only if Zach Bako-Bewele and Aaron Banks prove healthy enough to play.
Green Bay’s injury issues, plus its specific questions about Jordan Morgan at the left tackle spot, render the Packers a sleeper candidate to sign former Detroit Lions offensive lineman Taylor Decker.
Decker is a 10-year veteran and one-time Pro Bowler (2024) who asked Detroit for his release one season into a three-year, $60 million deal.
He has not caught on anywhere ahead of Week 1, but he has started 140 games in his career and anchored the left side of the Lions’ O-line across multiple seasons in which Detroit’s offense produced at an elite rate.
Jordan Morgan’s Capabilities at Left Tackle Remain Unclear Entering Year 3
Jacob Westendorf of ON SI discussed Monday the unknowns surrounding Morgan as the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings approaches.
“Morgan is the left tackle. That’s his natural position. He’s also only started one game there in the NFL,” Westendorf wrote. “Morgan had an excellent camp, and everyone around him is saying all of the right things about how he’s ready for this challenge. It’s also true he’s never performed well for an extended period in the NFL. The Packers think he will be good, but that’s only a thought at this point.”
Morgan was a first-round pick of Green Bay in 2024, so the team isn’t looking to replace him just yet. However, Decker can offer two-pronged insurance against Morgan struggling early in his third professional season and Bako-Bewele missing more time on the right side of the line due to his knee injury.
Packers’ Offensive Line Battling Injury Concerns Heading Into Week 1
Bako-Bewele is among the best right tackles in the league when healthy, but he missed five games with injuries last year and has sat out considerable work this summer as he rehabilitates from knee surgery.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said Monday that he is unsure about the unit’s best player and his status for Week 1 in Minnesota.
“We’ll see,” LaFleur responded to a question about whether Bako-Bewele or Banks will play against the Vikings.
Pro Football Focus ranked Green Bay’s offensive line 28th in the league heading into this season, with the caveat that they could end the year considerably better based on health and the progression of some of the group’s younger members — namely Morgan.
“Could the [Packers’ offensive line] prove to be better than the group that finished the 2025 season? Sure. There just is not a lot of stability or proof at this point that any of those players are either healthy or effective,” Westendorf continued. “If there’s a position group that you can likely point to as the one that will sink Green Bay’s ship in 2026, it’s the offensive line.”
Decker is potentially an expensive hedge against either poor injury luck or underachievement, but he’s also the best option available.
Packers Candidates for $60 Million OT Amid Morgan, Bako-Bewele Concerns