The Green Bay Packers are not going to field anywhere near the NFL’s best offensive line this season even if the unit receives tremendous injury luck, and that doesn’t appear to be the case via the latest news emerging from the franchise.
Head coach Matt LaFleur spoke with reporters on Monday, September 7 and offered a two-word response as to the statuses of starting right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele (formerly Zach Tom), who is among the best players at his position league-wide, and presumptive starting left guard Aaron Banks.
“We’ll see,” LaFleur said on whether either of the two will play in Week 1, per Zach Kruse of USA Today’s Packers Wire.
Bako-Bewele had knee surgery during the offseason, issues from which continue to linger and cost him time with the team across the weeks leading up to the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday. Meanwhile, Banks is battling knee tendonitis.
Packers’ Offensive Line Ranking Among Lowest in NFL to Begin Season
Gordon McGuiness of Pro Football Focus (PFF) ranked the Packers’ offensive line as the 28th-best in the league heading into the 2026 campaign, and that is with everyone healthy.
And unfortunately for Green Bay, Bako-Bewele is by far the best of the bunch.
“The Packers’ offensive line could look far better by the end of the season, but right now, the only player I have confidence in having a strong season is right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele,” McGuiness wrote. “He has yet to have a season with a PFF pass-blocking grade below 70.0 and has earned PFF grades above 80.0 in each of the past two seasons.”
“The other four starters have just one season with a PFF grade above 65.0 between them, and the reality is that this group needs Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton to take steps forward in their third and second years in the league, respectively,” McGuiness continued.
Packers’ Run Game in Trouble With Offensive Line Injuries, Uncertainty Around Running Back Josh Jacobs
Bako-Bewele missed five games in 2025 due to health issues, but was still a stellar performer when he was able to get on the field. PFF ranked him seventh among all tackles in the league last season (89 saw enough snaps to qualify) with an overall player grade of 83.5.
Bako-Bewele is also particularly adept as a run blocker, which could prove even more important in LaFleur’s traditionally rush-heavy offensive scheme given the likely absence of starting running back Josh Jacobs to begin the year.
Jacobs is facing two misdemeanor charges related to a domestic incident in May and is currently residing on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, which is essentially the equivalent of paid leave.
The RB got his initial court date moved up from November to later this week, presumably in the interest of trying to return to eligibility as quickly as possible. That said, the NFL may decide to punish Jacobs in the form of a multi-game suspension even after he resolves his legal issues, which likely means he misses some meaningful portion of the season.
Packers Share Rough 2-Word Injury News on Bako-Bewele, Banks Ahead of Week 1