Zach Bako-Bewele's torn patellar tendon guts Packers O-line

Zach Bako-Bewele went public with the worst version of the news: a fully torn patellar tendon, surgery booked for Thursday, and a recovery clock he's already been told runs 9 months. It's the same knee he partially tore last December, and he made a point of not blaming the setback on rushing back too soon. He did, notably, take a shot at the turf.

The context makes it worse. Green Bay's offensive line was already being talked about as one of the shakiest units in the league before this, and Bako-Bewele was the one lineman who'd been holding it together.

Field Yates

@FieldYates

This is a big blow to a Packers offensive line was already amongst the league's shakiest

Rob Demovsky

@RobDemovsky

The Packers have lost RT Zach Bako-Bewele for the season. He said today that he sustained a complete tear of his patellar tendon on Sunday. It’s same one he partially tore last year. He’s facing another surgery and long rehab. When healthy, he has been their best O-lineman.

For a Packers team trying to get its footing, losing its best O-lineman to a season-ending injury for the second straight year isn't a footnote — it's the story of the offense right now.

The line didn't get a day to absorb the Bako-Bewele news before it kept bleeding. Anthony Belton, the guy stepping into the starting right tackle job, showed up on the injury report estimation with an elbow issue of his own. Aaron Banks, who missed the second half Sunday with a toe injury, sat out practice entirely.

It got dark enough that the beat started joking about worst-case depth charts — a bit that only lands because the real depth chart is genuinely getting that thin up front.

Belton, a 2025 second-round pick out of NC State who started the back half of his rookie season at right tackle, is now the answer at a position the Packers didn't plan on needing an answer for in Week 4.

Matt LaFleur's press conference doubled as a full injury briefing. He confirmed Jayden Reed's issue is a neck injury, said it's too early to know if Reed plays again this season, and noted Reed is still undergoing testing after staying overnight near New Jersey following Sunday's game.

LaFleur wasn't hiding from the bigger problem, either. Asked about the offense's third-down struggles — Green Bay currently sits 32nd in the NFL in conversion rate — he didn't sugarcoat it.

Offensive line coach Adam Stenavich tried to sound the confident note on Belton specifically, saying he expects him to "anchor down the right side and do a great job." It's the company line every position coach gives in this spot — the real answer comes Thursday night.

Green Bay heads into its next game down its best tackle for the year, hoping a banged-up Belton and a game-time call on Banks are enough to stop the bleeding on a line that was already the offense's biggest question mark.