Packers offensive star confirms unfortunate suspicion, making an already big problem even worse
Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele confirmed the devastating diagnosis after suffering the injury on the third offensive play against the Jets.
The Green Bay Packers now know the full extent of right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele’s knee injury, and the news is as bad as feared. Bako-Bewele is done for the 2026 season after suffering a complete tear of his patellar tendon during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets. The injury occurred on just the third offensive play of the game, ending what was already a difficult comeback from a similar injury last season.
Bako-Bewele confirms a rough diagnosis
Bako-Bewele himself said to reporters in the locker room that he suffered a complete tear of his patellar tendon, and he will face a nine-month recovery process.
That timeline would theoretically put him in position to return for Week 1 of the 2027 season, which is significant given the circumstances. Bako-Bewele suffered a partially torn patellar tendon last year against the Denver Broncos, an injury that caused him to miss the final stretch of the 2025 season. He spent training camp and the preseason recovering from that tear, then returned at probably less than 100% for the 2026 opener against the Minnesota Vikings.
He played one game against the Vikings, took the field for a handful of snaps against the Jets, and now faces surgery and another lengthy recovery. Bako-Bewele said that returning to the field earlier was not the cause of the new injury. Regardless, the Packers will be without their most talented and consistent offensive lineman for the remainder of the season.
Belton steps into the starting role
The Packers do have a plan in place. Former second-round pick Anthony Belton is expected to be the starting right tackle for the rest of the 2026 season. He served as the starting right guard down the stretch last year and moved to tackle this offseason precisely because Bako-Bewele was still recovering.
Belton played right tackle throughout training camp and the preseason, and those reps look more meaningful now. He is Green Bay’s season-long answer at the position, and the Packers will need him to hold up in a way that keeps the offensive line functional without its best player on the right side.
