The Green Bay Packers finished the year disappointingly with a 16-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. While the game was largely irrelevant, considering the Packers were locked into the No. 7 seed when the playoffs begin next week, it was also an opportunity to peer into the future, putting players in positions they may be thrust into beginning in 2026.
For some players, such as cornerback Trevon Diggs and rookie pass rusher Collin Oliver, they were able to perform well in their new circumstances. The same can’t be said for second-year offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, though.
The 2024 first-round pick returned to his natural position of left tackle for the regular season finale, but while he didn’t allow a pressure over 17 pass-blocking snaps, his overall performance left something to be desired, including 60.9 overall and 59.8 run-blocking grades according to Pro Football Focus. A player can't be completely judged by PFF marks, but it's safe to say another quiet effort isn't encouraging right before the playoffs.
With a chance to impress, Morgan was just fine, and it has to have the Packers reconsidering his future heading into the rest of 2026.
Packers Will Need to Bring in Competition for Jordan Morgan in 2026
Morgan’s performance at left tackle was important considering that the current starter, Rasheed Walker, is a free agent in March. With Walker potentially commanding a contract around Spotrac’s projected market value of $20.7 million, the expectation is that Green Bay would let him walk, and Morgan would take over on the blindside.
The big issue is that Morgan hasn’t looked deserving of that role. The Arizona product has played musical chairs throughout the first two years of his career and split time between right guard and right tackle this season. Morgan also started at right guard in the wake of Sean Rhyan’s switch to center after Elgton Jenkins suffered a lower leg fracture, but that just led to him getting benched in favor of second-round rookie Anthony Belton.
With Zach Tom entrenched at right tackle, it leaves left tackle as Morgan’s last chance to stick in Green Bay. That becomes an issue when Morgan has allowed 30 pressures on 510 career pass-blocking snaps for a 5.9% pressure rate in his first two seasons. Although that’s a serviceable number, the Packers don’t have much time to experiment as a team that should compete for another Super Bowl berth in 2026.
The catch is that with Morgan surrounded by backups, he wasn’t going to look great against the Vikings. Additionally, Aaron Banks has also had his inconsistencies in his first season in Green Bay, which raises questions about the left side of the offensive line.
With this in mind, the Packers could either add a cheaper veteran in free agency or draft someone to compete with Morgan during training camp should Walker leave. It means it’s getting late early for Walker, and his initial run at left tackle may create a sense of urgency going into his third season.