The Green Bay Packers received the NFL’s earliest possible bye, in Week 5, providing a perfect opportunity for an injury-plagued and struggling offensive line to get healthy ahead of a 13-game gauntlet to finish the 2025 season. But even the off week couldn’t solve the injury issues along the Packers offensive line, and big question marks remain entering Sunday’s showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.
On Friday, the Packers listed three starters — left tackle Rasheed Walker, left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Tom — as questionable to play against the Bengals.
Walker is dealing with a lingering quad injury — he was listed on the Week 4 injury report with the same issue — and didn’t practice Thursday. He returned Friday in a limited capacity. Coach Matt LaFleur said the team would give Walker the next few days to get ready to play Sunday but made no promises on his availability.
Banks has been dealing with some kind of injury for the last two months. He practiced through a groin injury — which was first suffered in Week 3 in Cleveland — throughout this week but then added a knee injury on Friday, potentially complicating his return. Dating back to training camp, Banks has dealt with back, ankle, groin and now back injuries. He’s played in only two games and played only 73 snaps.
Tom injured his oblique in Week 1 and has battling the injury ever since. Like Banks, he practiced in a limited capacity all week, but he added a back injury on Friday. Tom, who played 99 percent of the team’s right tackle snaps a year ago, has been on the field for only 31 snaps in 2025.
The Packers also ruled out rookie Anthony Belton, who injured his ankle in practice before facing the Cowboys. Coach Matt LaFleur said Belton wasn’t close to playing when asked earlier this week.
Jacob Monk, who can play center and guard, was designated for return from IR on Monday and is listed as questionable, potentially providing depth for the interior of the offensive line on Sunday. But he’s been out of action since mid-August with a hamstring injury and wasn’t particularly good during his preseason appearances this summer.
The only preferred starters who haven’t missed time for the Packers offensive line this season are center Elgton Jenkins and right guard Sean Rhyan. Four different players have played snaps at right tackle, including Kinnard, who has played over 100 snaps despite being acquired before final roster cutdowns. Jordan Morgan, the team’s 2024 first-round pick, has been forced to play left guard, right guard and right tackle, and he’d likely get his first career start at left tackle if Walker can’t go Sunday.
Not surprisingly, the Packers have struggled to consistently move people in the run game and have allowed Jordan Love to be under pressure on a little over 40 percent of his dropbacks this season. Continuity is king for the offensive line, and the Packers have little of it after a barrage of injuries.
It’s Week 6, coming out of the bye week, and the Packers are dealing with injuries to six of their top offensive linemen. Not an ideal place to be with Trey Hendrickson coming to town on Sunday and 13 more games left to go in the regular season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Even the bye week couldn’t solve Packers offensive line injury issues
Reporting by Zach Kruse, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
