Matt LaFleur Provides Disappointing Update on Injured Lineman
By Jovan Alford
The Green Bay Packers received good news earlier this week as starting right tackle Zach Tom was activated off the PUP list on Monday.
Tom was placed on the active/PUP list, along with three other players ahead of training camp last week. The 25-year-old offensive lineman suffered a torn pectoral injury in the offseason, keeping him out of OTAs.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters earlier this week that Tom won’t be part of any team practices for the first few days but his recovery is ahead of schedule, per Aaron Nagler of Cheesheadtv.com.
Ahead of Friday’s training camp practice, LaFleur gave a more updated timeline on when fans can expect to see Tom on the field.
LaFleur said “it will be awhile” until the veteran offensive lineman gets into team reps and those might not happen until after Family Night, which is more than a week away, per Ryan Wood of USA TODAY.
Matt LaFleur says “it’s going to be awhile” until Zach Tom gets into team reps. He doesn’t expect the #Packers right tackle to take team reps until after Family Night, more than a full week away.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) July 26, 2024
If you are a Packers fan, it's disappointing to hear that Tom will not be back on the practice field anytime soon. However, the overarching good news is he’s off the PUP list and working his way back to be ready for the 2024 season.
The young offensive lineman helped solidify the right side of Green Bay’s offensive line last season, starting in all 19 games. Tom placed 16th in ESPN’s OT Pass Block Win Rate rankings in 2023 (91%).
That being said, until Tom is ready for training camp practice, veteran offensive lineman Andre Dillard will have a good opportunity to get reps with the first-team offense as he looks to prove that he’s not a first-round bust.
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