Jordan Love gets exactly what he wanted as Packers receive a major injury boost ahead of Week 1 against the Vikings
Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele expects to play on Sunday, and this is a hugely impactful update for Green Bay.
The Green Bay Packers received encouraging injury news on Wednesday. Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele and left guard Aaron Banks were both limited with knee injuries during practice, but the outlook for both players appears positive heading into Sunday’s NFC North opener against the Minnesota Vikings. Especially the more important one, Bako-Bewele.
Packers injury report
- RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee – limited)
- LG Aaron Banks (knee – limited)
- DT Warren Brinson (calf – DNP)
- DT Javon Hargrave (knee – limited)
- LB Ty’Ron Hopper (Achilles – DNP)
- LT Jordan Morgan (knee – limited)
- EDGE Barryn Sorrell (foot – limited)
- DT Devonte Wyatt (ankle – limited)
The right tackle expects to play at an elite level
Bako-Bewele told Matt Schneidman of The Athletic after practice that he is definitely expecting to play on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1.
“When I’m out there, I do expect to perform at an elite level,” Bako-Bewele said.
Bako-Bewele is undoubtedly Green Bay’s best offensive lineman and one of the most impactful players on the entire roster. He missed five games last season, and his absence in training camp and preseason due to a partially torn patellar tendon suffered late in 2025 raised concerns as he continued recovering from his knee injury. The fact that he’s healthy enough to suit up in Week 1 changes the equation for the Packers’ offense entirely.
Last season, when Bako-Bewele was sidelined, the Packers shifted Jordan Morgan to right tackle, where he played at a reasonable level. This year, the situation is different, though. Without Rasheed Walker in the mix, Morgan is set to start at left tackle, leaving Anthony Belton as the backup option at right tackle. That would represent a significant downgrade from Bako-Bewele, and even from what Morgan showed down the stretch in 2025.
With Bako-Bewele on the field, Green Bay’s offensive line improves dramatically in both the run game and pass protection for quarterback Jordan Love. According to PFF, the former fourth-round pick earned an 81.9 run blocking grade and a 78.5 pass blocking grade last season, making him one of the best right tackles in the NFL. He logged only 604 offensive snaps because of his injuries, though, after two consecutive seasons surpassing 1,000 snaps for the Packers.
Offensive line outlook for the season opener
Banks’ status remains unclear, but early indications suggest he could be available as well. Head coach Matt LaFleur said that the veteran will start over Jager Burton if he’s healthy enough to play. If both starting linemen suit up, Green Bay would enter its Week 1 road matchup against Minnesota with its top offensive line group fully intact.
Bako-Bewele signed a four-year, $88 million extension with the Packers last offseason, an indication of how highly the organization values him. His return reinforces what the front office already believed when it committed that kind of money. Bako-Bewele is a cornerstone of this team’s offensive identity, and his presence against a tough Brian Flores’ Vikings defense is massive.
