The Green Bay Packers have spent most of the season trying to patch up guard, the weakest link on the roster. As the NFL trade deadline approaches, ESPN projects Green Bay as a landing spot for a veteran guard who could become available. The name is an unexpected one: Philadelphia Eagles’ Landon Dickerson.

Green Bay certainly considered some of the veteran options at the position, and Quenton Nelson was part of that conversation. The Packers were linked to the former Indianapolis Colts guard before he was traded. Nelson ended up with the Seattle Seahawks instead. Now, another option could open up. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Dickerson could become available.

“Something feels off between the Eagles and Dickerson, one of the holdovers from the Jeff Stoutland offensive front. He recently took what appeared to be a passive-aggressive shot at the front office over his long-term outlook with the franchise. The Eagles are in a position to recoup draft capital for the future and are going younger on the offensive line. A mix of erratic play and injuries could affect his value, but he has Pro Bowl traits, his guarantees run dry next year, and he held up well in his return for ‘Monday Night Football’ against the Cowboys.” — Jeremy Fowler.

ESPN gives Dickerson a 25% chance of being traded. The best fits, according to the outlet, are the Los Angeles Chargers and the Packers.

The Eagles’ structure would actually help the Packers

The financial side is where this gets appealing for Green Bay. Because of how the Eagles structure contracts, most of Dickerson’s money came through as an option bonus that Philadelphia has already paid. His 2026 base salary, which would follow him to Green Bay, is just the veteran minimum.

If the Packers trade for Dickerson now, they would only absorb around $742,000 on the salary cap this year.

From there, Green Bay would essentially hold two team options. Dickerson is set to make $22 million in 2027 and $21 million in 2028, with option bonuses the team would have to exercise by Week 1 of each season to potentially spread the cap hit. Neither option bonus is guaranteed, though. Only $2.11 million of his 2027 salary is injury guaranteed, and that amount becomes fully guaranteed on the third league day of 2027.

So, if Dickerson gets hurt, the Packers would only owe him $2.11 million next year, with nothing guaranteed beyond that. For an acquiring team, that structure carries very little risk.

The price likely wouldn’t be steep either. Based on the A to Z Sports Trade Simulator, a package built around a fifth-round pick and offensive lineman Jacob Monk would work, and it might even favor Philadelphia. In terms of draft picks only, a fifth- and a seventh-rounder could balance things out, or tilt the deal slightly toward the Eagles. Fifth-round value is the realistic range.

Rough start, strong résumé

That modest price reflects where Dickerson is right now. He spent time on injured reserve after a Week 1 injury and only returned against the Dallas Cowboys last week. In a small sample of 121 snaps, he has allowed nine pressures and holds a 21.9 PFF pass-blocking grade. It has been the worst stretch of his career.

Nonetheless, the track record is strong. Philadelphia drafted Dickerson in the second round in 2021, and he has made three Pro Bowls. Two years ago, he allowed 27 pressures across the entire season. Last year, he gave up 32 pressures in 835 snaps at left guard.

At 28, he is still fairly young for the position. Guards tend to play well into their 30s, and Nelson, at 30, is still playing at a high level.

Does he fit what Green Bay needs?

The question is whether the Packers would want a player who is essentially a guard only. Dickerson has logged 4,816 career snaps at left guard, 42 at center, and 91 at right guard as a rookie.

Green Bay already signed three guards in Laken Tomlinson, Kevin Zeitler, and Mekhi Becton. The more pressing issue now is at center, since Sean Rhyan and Jacob Monk both got hurt. A player with the flexibility to handle guard and center would make more sense in the short term.

Still, Dickerson could offer something the roster lacks: a long-term answer at guard. Tomlinson, Zeitler, and Becton are all on one-year contracts. Aaron Banks is under contract for two more years, but there’s a fair expectation that he’ll be released in the offseason.

The Packers need options beyond this season. Because Dickerson is under contract for two more years after 2026, with the team controlling whether those years happen, he could become part of that equation at a reasonable cost.