Matt LaFleur leaves door wide open for major Packers piece to make long-awaited return to the field this week
Zach Tom didn’t face the Commanders.
The Green Bay Packers had to rotate rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton and recently acquired Darian Kinnard at right tackle against the Washington Commanders last Thursday because starter Zach Tom was out due to an oblique injury.
Having the star right tackle out was certainly a big issue, even though the offense adjusted to protect the backups throughout the game. Getting Tom back, especially against a strong defensive front like the Cleveland Browns have, would be huge on Sunday. And while his status is yet to be determined, head coach Matt LaFleur left the door open for it.
“Yeah, potentially. We’ll see where he’s at,” LaFleur said on Monday. “Just talking to him, I know he feels a lot better than he did, and we’ll just see how he progresses throughout the course of the week.”
Tom started the Detroit Lions game in Week 1 and didn’t allow a single pressure. He played 30 offensive snaps before getting hurt.
The right tackle has been one of the most valuable players on the Packers’ offense during the past two years. In 2024, he was third in All-Pro votes at his position, only behind Detroit Lions’ Penei Sewell and Philadelphia Eagles’ Lane Johnson. This past offseason, Tom signed a four-year, $88 million extension to be in Green Bay through 2029.
How the backups played
On Thursday, Belton played 75% of the snaps, with Kinnard getting the other 25%. The rookie did have one tough play, a holding that negated a touchdown. Outside of that one play, though, LaFleur praised Belton’s performance.
“I thought both those guys went and did what they needed to do,” LaFleur added. “Obviously, Belton played the majority of the game, and outside of the one penalty, I thought he played really solid football. He was physical, he was straining, there was great effort. For his first game, especially a game where there’s really no practice, I thought he went in there and did a really outstanding job.”
In Week 2, the Packers played without two starting offensive linemen. In addition to Tom, left guard Aaron Banks didn’t play due to ankle and groin injuries. Last year’s first-round pick Jordan Morgan started there.
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