There weren’t a lot of things that went wrong for the Green Bay Packers in their 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon. But if there was one thing that had Packers fans skittish, it was an Aidan Hutchinson hit late in the game that appeared to injure offensive lineman Zach Tom.
The play occurred when Jordan Love threw what would have been a pick-six to Brian Branch in the second half if it weren’t for a defensive holding penalty. While the play was negated, what transpired during it had consequences as Hutchinson shoved Love to the ground, and Tom appeared to injure himself while trying to avoid his quarterback lying on the ground.
Tom exited the game and was unable to return, putting his status for Thursday’s game against the Washington Commanders in doubt. The first update on Tom's injury, and the rest of the roster, came on Monday afternoon and it wasn’t good news for Packers fans who were hoping to have their offensive tackle for a pivotal NFC showdown.
Aidan Hutchinson’s Late Hit May Have Knocked Zach Tom out of Week 2
The Packers released their first injury report for Thursday’s game with the caveat that it was an “estimation” since they didn’t practice on Monday. While wide receiver Matthew Golden and cornerback Nate Hobbs were able to get away with limited participation designations, Tom wasn’t as lucky, as he was listed as “did not participate” due to an oblique injury.
Losing Tom would be a big deal for the Packers’ chances against the Commanders on a short week. A fourth-round pick by Green Bay in the 2022 draft, Tom’s overall PFF grade has gone up in each of his first three seasons, posting a 68.3 grade in his rookie year, a 79.7 grade in his second year, and an 85.8 grade in his third year.
Tom is also one of the game’s best pass-blockers, grading 15th out of 85 qualifying offensive tackles with an 81.0 pass-blocking grade last season. The performance helped Tom earn a four-year, $88 million extension in July, but that may not matter if he’s not healthy enough to stay on the field. It’s also a concern given that Darian Kinnard replaced Tom after the injury and posted a 31.5 pass-blocking grade, albeit on four pass-blocking snaps.
The good news is that the Commanders didn’t have a dominant pass-rush in Week 1, taking Russell Wilson to the ground twice in a 21-6 win over the New York Giants. Despite that, the Packers would still like to have one of their best offensive tackles on the field when they battle the Commanders on a short week.