The Packers' Offensive Line Crisis Deepens as Two More Guards Hit the Injury List

The Green Bay Packers entered Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season with a league-worst pass-blocking performance and a revolving door at the guard positions. That door is still spinning. On Wednesday, the team ruled out starting guards Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, forcing the coaching staff to turn to thirty-eight-year-old veteran Kevin Zeitler as the latest solution.

Zeitler, who signed with the Packers during their recent offensive-line overhaul, took first-team reps at right guard during Wednesday's practice. It was a clear signal that Green Bay expects the twelve-year veteran to anchor the position when they travel to Soldier Field this weekend. The Packers also elevated Laken Tomlinson to the active roster as insurance.

The injuries to Banks and Monk continue a brutal run for Green Bay's interior blocking. Banks remains sidelined by knee and toe injuries that have kept him out since early in the season. Monk is dealing with a quadriceps injury that flared up this week. The absences forced Travis Glover into emergency duty last Sunday against Tampa Bay, where he played his first snaps of 2026 after missing all of 2025 with a shoulder injury.

From League-Worst to Season-Best in One Week

The Packers' pass-blocking struggles have been no secret. According to ESPN Analytics, Green Bay entered last Sunday with a league-worst sixteen-percent pass-block win rate. Against the Buccaneers, they somehow posted a season-best fifty-three percent. It was an admirable showing from a makeshift unit that included Glover's comeback performance.

But the improvement came at a cost. The constant shuffling has prevented any continuity up front. Zeitler, who spent most of his career with the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants, has been in Green Bay for less than a week. He will be asked to protect quarterback Jordan Love against a Bears defense that has lived in opposing backfields all season.

The Depth Chart Running on Fumes

The Packers have additional options at guard, including practice squad players Jager Burton and Donovan Jennings, but both are inexperienced. Tomlinson gives the team a veteran safety net if Zeitler struggles or if injuries continue to pile up. The offensive line depth that looked solid in training camp has been decimated by injuries, forcing general manager Brian Gutekunst to scour the free-agent market.

Beyond the injuries, the Packers also ruled out three other players for Sunday's game, including cornerback Warren Jackson and wide receiver Jayden Reed, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. The offensive line crisis is just one part of a larger injury epidemic that has hit Green Bay harder than almost any team in the league.

Zeitler has started more than one hundred and fifty games in his NFL career, so the moment will not be too big for him. But asking a player who signed on October 3 to protect a franchise quarterback six days later is a gamble the Packers would rather not take. They have no choice. Banks and Monk are out, Glover is still working back from a year-long absence, and the offensive line coach is running out of bodies.

Sunday's game against the Bears will test whether experience can overcome a lack of preparation time. If Zeitler holds up, the Packers may have found a short-term fix. If he does not, the offensive line crisis will become the defining story of Green Bay's season.