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Something's Got to Give Up Front for the Packers
Six.
That's the number of different offensive line combinations the Green Bay Packers have used so far this season. For comparison, last year's team ran through eight different combinations over the entire 2025 season. Three games into 2026, the Packers have almost matched that total already — and they're well on pace to blow past it.
It's not that Brian Gutekunst and his staff didn't invest up front. They actually invested quite a bit — a first-round pick, a second-round pick, a couple of homegrown players on lucrative extensions, and a big-ticket free agent. The problem is none of that investment has translated into production.
The season is still young, and despite the current vibes, there's still time to turn things around, starting Sunday in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers (0-3), who could be without Baker Mayfield. Green Bay then hosts the Bears (1-1) the following week, who are expected to be without Caleb Williams. Micah Parsons could be back before the end of October, and who knows — maybe Josh Jacobs returns at some point too.
Plenty of teams around the league have looked rough so far. The Patriots just got dogwalked by the Jaguars. The Commanders just upset the defending Super Bowl champs with a backup quarterback. But none of those teams are dealing with an offensive line as bad as Green Bay's. Not even close.
This offensive line has made everything on offense feel impossible. The Packers can't sustain drives, there's no semblance of a rushing attack, and Jordan Love isn't going to make it through a full season healthy if he keeps taking hits at this rate. Green Bay doesn't need this line to be above average — it just needs to be serviceable. Until that happens, the season is only going to get harder, not easier.
By the Numbers: A Historically Bad Line
It's been bad. In fact, it's been really bad. It's hard to overstate just how bad this unit has been. Per PFF, Jordan Love has been pressured on 59 of his 133 dropbacks — 44.4%. He's been hit 20 times, already almost halfway to his 2025 total, and sacked eight. At that rate, he's on pace for 334 pressures, 113 hits, and 45 sacks over a full 17-game season. Let that sink in. And it gets worse.
* 16% pass-block win rate, per ESPN Analytics — worst in the NFL
* 25 total quarterback knockdowns, per PFF — the second-highest total by any team in 20 years
* 38 quick pressures allowed, per Next Gen Stats — highest in the NFL
* 146 rushing yards, per ESPN Research — the lowest through three games since 1933
* 2.37 seconds average time to throw — the lowest in the league
However you slice it, this line is trending toward historically bad. And it's not just one problem you can point to and fix. Health is a big piece of it — Zach Bako-Bewele, who didn't look fully right to begin with, is done for the year after fully tearing his patellar tendon, and Aaron Banks has only managed 22 healthy snaps. Those are the two highest-paid guys in the room, and neither is going to be part of the solution anytime soon.
For the guys who have actually been healthy, it's just been bad across the board. Jacob Monk and Jordan Morgan have each allowed 11 pressures. Jager Burton allowed 10 last week alone. Anthony Belton has allowed eight; Sean Rhyan six. Take a look at how bad it's gotten:
Here's Jacob Monk getting beat and Jordan Love paying the price. pic.twitter.com/ewAMkp5q7A
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 26, 2026
Not much to break down on this one. Monk got beat with a simple Olé move, and Love was under pressure almost instantly. No stunt, no complex protection call — Monk just lost his rep. He didn't even get a hand on the defender.
It's not just blockers getting beat physically. This one's not seen/communicated. pic.twitter.com/05WiRTI0xF
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 26, 2026
This one's a simple four-man rush with a stunt on Love's backside. Burton engaged the defensive tackle, and Morgan joined him once the edge rusher ran a twist inside — which neither Burton or Morgan accounted for. Belton also got beat with a speed rush on the opposite edge. Communication breakdown or mental error, either way, Love had to get the ball out early, and it led to a non-competitive throw.
No one blocks the nose tackle. No one blocks the Mike. They miss the stunt play-side despite four hands getting on it. No one knows what the hell they're supposed to be doing https://t.co/dH5q2ZEyjM pic.twitter.com/UVGtMFVKPy
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) September 25, 2026
As Justis Mosqueda pointed out, the nose tackle and the Mike linebacker both go completely unblocked. It takes three bodies to handle a single stunt on the play side, with both Burton and Morgan doubling up on a linebacker at the second level. This unit isn't just losing physical battles — it's not executing the calls, not communicating, and, in some cases, just doesn't seem to know the assignment. That’s unacceptable.
Solutions Won't Be Easy, But They're Needed
Will the Packers make changes? Who knows. Should they? Absolutely. Green Bay can't, in good conscience, roll out the same five guys next Sunday in Tampa Bay — that would be malpractice at this point. The current group has shown it can't get the job done, and as the old saying goes, nothing changes if nothing changes.
Everything should be on the table here — another new combination, kicking the tires on free agents, even testing the trade market. It's on both the front office and the coaching staff to explore every option. It really can't get much worse.
Before getting into what changes might look like, it's worth acknowledging two guys who are likely staying put no matter what: Jordan Morgan and Sean Rhyan. The Packers used a first-round pick on Morgan, and after bouncing him around his first two seasons, they need him getting reps at one position. Rhyan just re-signed on a three-year, $33 million deal and will probably stay at center, though he could slide to guard if the staff wants to get creative. Outside of those two, everything should be fair game.
The fix really starts with the guard spots. Jacob Monk has been the primary right guard, and it's been a rollercoaster, to put it kindly. On the other side, three different players — Aaron Banks, Donovan Jennings, and Jager Burton — have all seen time, but Banks can't stay on the field, and the two young guys look overwhelmed. Simply put, they're not ready for this level yet.
The Packers could shuffle the guys already in-house, but that's not exactly encouraging either. Moving Jennings, Burton, and Monk around the interior isn't likely to suddenly produce more sound, assignment-correct football. They could give John Williams III or Travis Glover a shot, but are reasons those two were ninth and tenth on the depth chart.
Anthony Belton could be the wild card. He's likely sticking at right tackle with Bako-Bewele out for the year, and as a second-round pick, he'll get every chance to settle in there. He does have some interior experience, and his size should keep him from being pushed back immediately. Honestly, he might genuinely be the best guard option on the roster. The problem is he's probably the best option at right tackle, too. Either way, the Packers likely need to look outside the building for real answers.
Gutekunst has already started doing that. The first addition was 28-year-old Cordell Volson, signed to the practice squad. He started 48 games for Cincinnati from 2022 to 2024, logging over 3,000 snaps, and while he played guard and tackle in college, he's been strictly a left guard in the pros. His track record as a starter isn't great — 119 pressures, 16 sacks, and 16 penalties allowed over 2,121 pass-blocking snaps — but at least he has experience and would probably know who to block.
The more recent addition is 34-year-old Laken Tomlinson, signed off Dallas's practice squad Saturday. Tomlinson has started over 162 games and played nearly 11,000 snaps across a 12-year career. Like Volson, he has primarily played left guard and has extensive experience, but he's not the Pro Bowl player he once was. That said, he has spent time in Kyle Shanahan's scheme — which should allow him to be familiar with Green Bay’s offense — and has posted a PFF pass-blocking grade above 60.6 in all but one season. The catch is he hasn't played in close to a year.
Volson and Tomlinson are worthwhile depth additions, and would probably be immediate upgrades, but Gutekunst and his staff need to keep turning over every rock available. At this point, position doesn't even matter much — bringing in a tackle could let Belton kick inside just as easily. Available tackles worth a look include Taylor Decker, Jack Conklin, Jonah Williams, and Cam Robinson. None of them are in their prime anymore, but all are experienced and would likely be better than what’s there.
There's no shortage of interior options either — Mekhi Becton, Kevin Zeitler, Ezra Cleveland, James Daniels, Alex Cappa, and Will Hernandez are just a few names still out there, and any of them would be better than what's been on the field so far. At this point, even Darian Kinnard, whom the Packers released at the end of camp, would probably be an upgrade.
Yes, the Packers are looking at more OL. Zeitler has been mentioned, but he wants 10 mil. Others have been mentioned. pic.twitter.com/VIJpUKUUrc
— Easton Butler (@Easton__Butler) September 26, 2026
Change Could Be Coming
No one knows what the Packers are ultimately going to do to fix this. Honestly, they may not make any changes at all over the next week. LaFleur has said the team needs to "find continuity as quickly as possible," and also that "you want to get guys reps and get that experience and let them battle through the growing pains that most young players have." Neither comment suggests much urgency to shake things up.
What LaFleur and company actually do will stay a mystery until next Sunday. They could make no changes at all. They could keep mixing and matching combinations, something they've already tried with next to no success. Is more shuffling really a solution? Probably not. It's not time to give up on Burton, Monk, Belton, or Jennings — or even Williams and the guys on the practice squad — but it's clear none of them are ready for this moment yet.
The Steelers decided to switch things up yesterday, starting two different players on their offensive line, and it paid off. Aaron Rodgers averaged 3.19 seconds to throw — a massive jump from Weeks 1 and 2. The difference is Green Bay doesn't have a first-round pick sitting on the bench the way the Steelers did. Either way, their line wasn't getting the job done, so they made a change, and it worked out.
The bar for the Packers isn't high right now. Nobody expects to sign a guy off his couch and get All-Pro play. But the Packers need someone who can at least get in a defender's way — linemen who know their assignments, hold up in the run game, and buy Jordan Love an extra half-second to throw. Is that really too much to ask? The current group isn't getting it done, and a week of practice isn't going to fix everything on its own. And it's worth noting that LaFleur isn't going to make changes to his coaching staff — Adam Stenavich and Luke Butkus aren't going anywhere. LaFleur and his staff are loyal, sometimes to a fault. But something needs to change here, and soon.
Filed Under: Packers NewsFeaturedGreen Bay PackersCarter Semb
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Carter Semb is a lifelong Packer fan, shareholder, and season ticket holder. He is a contributor for Cheesehead TV and Packers Talk. For commentary surrounding Wisconsin sports, he can be found on X at @cmsemb.
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NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Matt LaFleurLuke ButkusAdam StenavichBrian GutekunstLaken TomlinsonCordell Volson
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