The Green Bay Packers welcomed Aaron Banks to the practice field on Wednesday, but the offensive line that the Minnesota Vikings lit up over the weekend is going to need more than just a healthy Banks to become formidable in the weeks ahead.
One possible option developing for Green Bay involves former Chicago Bears offensive guard Teven Jenkins, who is currently employed by the Cleveland Browns but appears to have lost his starting job due to an injury that sidelined him in Week 1.
Jenkins did not practice for Cleveland on Wednesday due to the back injury that kept him out of the team’s season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. During his press conference on the same day, Browns head coach Todd Monken all but confirmed that Jenkins is now a reserve moving forward.
“#Browns Todd Monken said he ‘sees it that way’ that rookie Austin Barber will start at right guard even when Teven Jenkins is healthy,” Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported via X.
Cleveland is pretty clearly going nowhere fast this season, as the Browns are stubbornly sticking with Deshaun Watson for a Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Monken remade almost the entire offensive line over the offseason, with Jenkins the only player slated to start Week 1 who was on the roster in 2025.
As the team appears to be using this year to develop young players and also position itself for a high draft pick in 2027 when it can pursue a franchise quarterback, moving Jenkins for a Day 3 draft pick makes plenty of sense.
And with limited options in this regard, the Packers are a prime candidate.
Aaron Banks Practiced Wednesday, Status for Week 2 Uncertain
Banks is the Packers’ starting left guard, though he was not healthy enough to go on Sunday against the Vikings due to knee tendonitis.
Head coach Matt LaFleur told media Wednesday that while Banks was back on the practice field, his status for the team’s Week 2 contest against the New York Jets could be a game-time decision.
“Matt LaFleur says Aaron Banks will practice today: ‘We’re trying to get him ramped up, ready to go, but that’s a process that will take through the week,'” Ryan Wood of USA Today reported on X.
Packers Need to Add Reinforcements to Offensive Line to Protect Jordan Love
The Packer started Donovan Jennings and Jacob Monk at the offensive guard positions in Minnesota last weekend, and the results were disastrous.
Forget the collapse over the final 20 minutes under a blitzing onslaught by Brian Flores’ defense that flipped a 12-point lead for the Packers into a 17-point defeat, ESPN’s Mina Kimes and Ben Solak suggested on Tuesday that Green Bay was lucky to get out of Minneapolis with QB Jordan Love still in tact.
Even if the Packers get Banks back for Week 2, the offensive line still needs upgrades to the starting lineup and improved depth. Back injuries can linger, so Jenkins isn’t an ideal option — especially after losing his job in Cleveland to a rookie.
But he’s among the best options available. And given what should be a low trade price, Green Bay ought to inquire immediately about Jenkins’ availability.
Packers’ Trade Path to Ex-Bears Guard Develops Amid Aaron Banks Injury