The Green Bay Packers offensive line has had its share of setbacks this season. But one of the biggest has been the injury to Zach Tom. Tom was injured during the Packers’ season opener as he tried to avoid colliding with Jordan Love and the result has been a two-week journey where Tom missed the Week 2 game against the Washington Commanders and lasted just one snap in the Week 3 matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
Amid NFL insider Jordan Schultz’s report that Tom is attempting to play through a torn oblique, the Packers didn’t even risk it, ruling the offensive tackle out for the Week 4 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. If that wasn’t enough to raise the anxiety of Packers fans, Tom sent it through the roof with a social media post on Friday night that simply said “It is what it is.”
Packers’ Offensive Line in Free Fall Amid Zach Tom’s Ominous Post
Tom’s injury is part of a Packers offensive line that has been in free fall over the opening weeks. Green Bay tried to upgrade their offensive line by signing Aaron Banks to a four-year, $77 million contract in free agency and moving Elgton Jenkins to center. But Banks has spent the opening weeks of his Packers tenure dealing with injuries and Jenkins has needed time to adjust to his new position.
Second round pick Anthony Belton has also had a mercurial start to his career and will also not play in Sunday’s game against the Cowboys due to an ankle injury.
This all pales in comparison to Tom’s status. One of the best offensive tackles in the league, Tom’s Pro Football Focus grade improved in each of his first three seasons including an 85.8 grade last year. The Packers rewarded this development with a four-year, $88 million contract and acknowledged him as one of the anchors of their offensive line.
Instead, his injury has had a tough effect on the Packers’ offensive line. In the past two weeks without Tom, Love has been pressured on 46.2% of dropbacks, compared to 26.1% of his dropbacks in the season opener. This is a big factor in Love’s performance as he’s posted a 48.8 passer rating when pressured compared to a 136.9 passer rating with a clean pocket this season.
Tom’s injury has also sank the running game. Josh Jacobs posted a success rate of 52.2% and an average of 4.4 yards per carry last season. But Jacobs hasn’t looked like the same player over the first three games with a 43.1% success rate and an average of 3.1 yards per carry.
A five-word social media post doesn’t tell the whole story and Tom could just be lamenting that it could be a couple of weeks before returning to the field. But it also could be an omen he’s out for an extended period, which could be another disastrous outcome for Green Bay in the trenches.