The Green Bay Packers’ coaching staff has been patient with the offensive line, but it’s time to play Kevin Zeitler over Travis Glover at right guard. Glover has started for the past three games, and the results followed. He was a clear improvement over what Jacob Monk showed over the first three weeks of the season.

The combination of Laken Tomlinson at left guard and Glover at right guard stabilized the offensive line to a point where the offense became functional, unlike it had been with Donovan Jennings and Jacob Monk. Still, Green Bay brought Zeitler in for a reason, and the upcoming NFC North matchup with the Detroit Lions is the right moment to use him.

The ramp-up period is over

The Packers signed Zeitler to a one-year, $4.05 million contract, and the plan was to give him a ramp-up period. He is a 36-year-old veteran who didn’t know the system, so he needed time to learn the offense.

Green Bay was comfortable giving him that time because Glover was playing at a reasonable level. Head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff also wanted to give the offensive line some continuity after a shaky start to the season.

But if the Packers needed some questionable performances from Glover to pull the trigger on Zeitler, that time has arrived. Glover wasn’t great in pass protection against the Chicago Bears in Week 5, and he was a little worse against the Dallas Cowboys on “Sunday Night Football.” He allowed three pressures in that game, five over the past two weeks.

Dallas does have a strong defensive front, especially on the interior with Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Things won’t get much easier for Green Bay, though. The Lions have defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who is playing at a high level again this year.

Protecting Jordan Love is the priority

Glover is a respectable player, and he will serve as an important part of the depth along the offensive line. Zeitler, however, is the type of guard who can truly elevate the ceiling of the entire unit, especially in pass protection.

Quarterback Jordan Love has shown early this season what happens when he gets a clean pocket. If he has time to throw, he will punish defenses by targeting Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and Tucker Kraft.

Love was sacked three times against the Cowboys, and the protection won’t necessarily improve with Glover staying in the lineup. The Packers wanted to give the offensive line a sense of continuity, and that made sense for a few weeks. Now, Green Bay needs its best talent on the field.

The Lions offer a big challenge. It’s an NFC North rivalry game with massive implications, and the Packers need more protection for their quarterback. If Zeitler is going to be the piece who raises the floor of this offensive line, the move has to happen now.

No reason to touch the left side

The left guard situation is a different story. Aaron Banks was inactive against the Cowboys once again, and he has only 22 offensive snaps this season.

Even when Banks is healthy, there’s no reason to replace Tomlinson. The veteran has played well on the left side, and his availability has been far more dependable. Therefore, it’s perfectly fine to keep Banks as a backup and leave Tomlinson as the starter.

That would leave Green Bay with Tomlinson and Zeitler as the starting guards, with Banks and Glover as the backups. The difference between that setup and what the Packers had early this season is significant. The team would have depth and options, but more importantly, the best and most reliable players would be starting along the offensive line.