The Green Bay Packers returned to practice on Wednesday afternoon, and all eyes were on offensive tackle Zach Tom. Head coach Matt LaFleur made headlines earlier in the day when he said that Tom would return to practice in a limited capacity, and as promised, Tom took the field as he looks to make his way back from an oblique injury.
Seeing Tom back on the field feels like a positive sign and gives some hope that he could return for the Week 3 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. But before fans could pencil Tom into the starting lineup for that game, Tom seemed to slam the brakes when he admitted that it’s still hard to run due to the injury.
“It’s kinda hard to run,” Tom said via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “That’s the main thing. I feel like moving side to side. I'm good, but anything that involves me trying to get out and open up, that’s kinda like where I can feel it a little bit.”
Zach Tom’s Return to Packers Still Uncertain Ahead of Week 3
Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette followed up by asking Tom if he would play Sunday, to which he replied “Ask me again tomorrow.” While these comments don’t rule him completely out of the Browns game, it’s still concerning, as the Packers would like to see their offensive line at full strength.
Tom was injured in the season-opening win against the Detroit Lions when he tried to avoid a collision with quarterback Jordan Love. Tom fell on his hip, which injured his oblique, during the play, and he left the game and did not return. The Packers also held him out of the Week 2 win over the Washington Commanders as rookie Anthony Belton and Darian Kinnard rotated at right tackle.
Belton and Kinnard didn’t have a disastrous night, but Belton did commit a holding penalty that took a Love touchdown pass to Jayden Reed off the board in the first quarter. Kinnard also allowed a pressure on nine pass-blocking snaps according to Pro Football Focus, signaling that Green Bay would benefit from Tom’s return as soon as possible.
Then again, the Packers have many reasons not to rush him back. After winning the first two games in dominating fashion, Green Bay should be favored in a stretch that includes the Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Carolina Panthers. While Tom should be back somewhere in the middle of that stretch, the Packers would probably like to make sure he’s ready before a Nov. 10 showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.
That game is a long way down the road, and there’s a long season ahead. If Tom continues to feel discomfort, it would make sense to hold him out, giving him a final obstacle to overcome before making his return.