The Week 5 bye couldn’t have come at a better time for the Green Bay Packers, who were banged up across the offensive line as Zach Tom and Aaron Banks dealt with injuries.
The Packers’ starting right tackle has been hampered by an oblique injury that Tom suffered in Week 1, which forced him to miss Weeks 2 and 4. The veteran lineman tried to play in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, but he was clearly hurt.
Coming off the bye week, Packers fans were hoping to hear some good news about the injured Tom on Monday. Luckily for them, the veteran lineman was back at practice, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.
Zach Tom Returns to Practice on Monday After Week 5 Bye
If you’re Packers head coach Matt LaFleur or a Green Bay fan, you are excited to hear that the injured starting tackle is back at practice. Last week, LaFleur was asked by reporters if Tom or Banks would be returning after the bye. He responded with, “We’ll see. I don’t know.”
Without Tom on the field, Green Bay has had to lean on a combination of rookie Anthony Belton, veteran Darian Kinnard, and second-year lineman Jordan Morgan at right tackle, which brought varying results.
As for Tom, the numbers haven’t been great when he’s played this season, which is not a surprise. According to Pro Football Focus, the 26-year-old right tackle has a 59.5 overall offensive grade, 61.2 pass blocking grade, and a 56.4 run blocking grade.
That said, when he’s healthy, Tom is one of the better tackles in the NFL, as we saw last year. In 2024, Tom was ranked third in run-blocking with a 90.0 grade and 11th in pass-blocking (82.1), per PFF.
Fans saw the direct impact on the Packers’ running game last year, as Josh Jacobs had a great first season in Green Bay. The same thing cannot be said to start this season, as Jacobs is only averaging a career-worst 3.3 yards per carry, which speaks to the injuries on the offensive line.
The star running back is also averaging 1.6 yards before contact per rushing attempt, which is also the worst mark of his career.
Therefore, the Packers are hoping that the starting right tackle being at Monday’s practice is a good sign for the rest of the week, as they invite the Cincinnati Bengals to Lambeau Field in Week 6. It's a situation worth monitoring throughout the week.