The Green Bay Packers face a significant offensive line problem ahead of the 2026 regular season, and it starts with two projected starters whose availability remains uncertain. Left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele are both returning from knee injuries that affected their 2025 seasons, and neither has been able to fully participate during training camp or the preseason. With the Week 1 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings less than two weeks away, Green Bay still cannot establish its best five-man lineup along the offensive line.

Banks and Bako-Bewele were able to practice to some extent during camp, but both missed the entire preseason and had limited participation throughout the summer. While both are expected to play at some point, head coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged there is a chance both could miss the season opener.

“That’s to be determined,” LaFleur said. “Obviously we’d like those guys out there. It’s been good in some senses in terms of being able to get guys a bunch of reps. Obviously you’d like your starting five out there and I’d say until it’s proven, then I mean, it could be anybody.”

Projected lineup and fallback options

The Packers’ projected starting five has Jordan Morgan at left tackle, Banks at left guard, Sean Rhyan at center, Jacob Monk at right guard, and Bako-Bewele at right tackle. Monk has been the biggest surprise of the offseason, earning the starting right guard job.

If Banks and Bako-Bewele cannot play in Week 1, Green Bay has natural replacement options. Rookie fifth-round pick Jager Burton would likely slide into the left guard spot. Burton has practiced all around the interior of the offensive line throughout camp but spent the majority of his reps at left guard, precisely because Banks was unavailable.

At right tackle, the option would be Anthony Belton. Belton played at both tackle and guard last season and was expected to have the starting right guard role entering 2026. However, the Packers utilized him primarily as a tackle throughout the offseason program and exclusively at right tackle during training camp and the preseason.

Depth concerns compound the issue

In addition to the downgrade in the starting lineup, at right tackle in particular, deploying both as starters would thin the Packers’ depth considerably. At that point, the only remaining backup offensive linemen on the 53-man roster would be Travis Glover, Donovan Jennings, and John Williams. That group lacks significant experience and high-level performance at the NFL level.

The Packers need Banks and especially Bako-Bewele back as soon as possible, and the next two weeks of practice will determine whether either is ready for Week 1. The situation is particularly concerning for a unit that already underperformed in 2025 and did not show marked improvement during the preseason.

If the offensive line enters the regular season short-handed, the early burden falls squarely on LaFleur and his staff to scheme around it, which is especially hard against Brian Flores’ defense in Minnesota.