Packers Get Major Boost With Key Star Returning to Practice

After a much-needed bye week, there are signs of life along the Green Bay Packers’ banged-up offensive line. Monday's practice brought some welcome sights for the team, with right tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks back on the field. It wasn’t full-go just yet - the team didn’t release an official injury report - but their presence alone is a step in the right direction for a unit that's been in constant flux through the early part of the season.

For Tom, it was his first practice action since getting hurt in Week 1 with an oblique injury that’s been anything but cooperative. He tried suiting up for the Packers’ Week 3 clash against the Browns, but his return lasted just one snap before the pain forced him back to the sideline. On Monday, though, Tom sounded cautiously optimistic.

“I felt good out there today," he said. "Obviously Wednesday we’re going to put the pads on, see where it’s at.

That’s really going to be the bigger test. Because today I was just doing everything on air.

But it felt like I was moving pretty well, I felt pretty confident, way less pain.”

That’s encouraging, but there’s a reason the team is taking this one step at a time. Oblique injuries, especially for offensive linemen, are tricky.

You can simulate movement in practice, work on technique, feel fine - and then the violence and unpredictability of a real game throws it all out of rhythm. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said as much when reflecting on the decision to play Tom briefly in Week 3.

“We did our best in terms of trying to put him through enough and certainly had him going in practice,” LaFleur said, “but still, the game’s a different speed.”

That speed - and just how ready Tom is for it - may determine not only his availability this week but whether this injury will linger all year. For now, the goal is pain management. Tom himself acknowledged the possibility that this is going to be a season-long issue to some degree.

“This is something you’re probably going to be dealing with the rest of the year,” Tom said. “We’ve just got to get the pain to a point where it’s manageable. I think we’re getting there.”

Tom hasn’t been the only missing piece up front. Banks was also back at practice Monday after missing two games with ankle and groin injuries. When he’s been out, it’s been rookie Jordan Morgan plugging in wherever needed, giving the Packers some valuable flexibility, if not always consistency.

In Tom's absence, Green Bay has leaned on a mix-and-match rotation at right tackle, including Morgan, Darrian Kinnard, and Anthony Belton. Each has had their moments, but the results have varied - and that lack of continuity has loomed large for this offense. In football, chemistry matters a lot more than just who's wearing the jersey.

Offensive line play is all about rhythm - footsteps syncing with hand placement, combos firing double-teams in perfect timing, quick recognition on stunts and blitzes. When you're mixing personnel weekly, all of that timing suffers. And for a young Packers offense trying to establish both a ground game and reliable protection for their quarterback, it's made things harder than they need to be.

So when Tom talks about itching to get off the sideline, it’s more than just frustration - it’s tied directly to the cohesion this offensive line has been missing.

“I just can’t stand on the sideline all game,” he said. “That…that’s not it.

You just feel so useless. I just can’t do it.”

Also making some encouraging noise in practice was Jacob Monk, a second-year lineman who’s been sidelined since the tail end of training camp with a hamstring injury. Monk was placed on injured reserve at roster cutdown time with a designation to return, and this week marks his first opportunity to join the 53-man squad. He’s stayed sharp during his time away, keeping up with the playbook and trying to stay in game-ready shape.

“Just doing what I can to stay in shape, stay ready, stay in the playbook and stay focused,” Monk said. “Trying to get back as fast as I could.”

Monk offers valuable depth - and versatility. He can line up at either guard slot and even fill in at center when needed, something that could prove to be critical down the stretch if the injury bug continues its tour through the Packers’ O-line room.

All told, the Packers have spent the first four games of their season trying to piece together a front five that can protect, open lanes, and give this offense a fighting chance. Getting Tom, Banks, and Monk back wouldn’t just be a health boost - it’s potentially a chemistry reset at just the right time.

Of course, it’ll all depend on how they hold up in practice this week, and whether that progress translates into live snaps on Sunday. But if there’s any week to start building momentum, this is it. As any coach will tell you, games are won in the trenches - and Green Bay is finally starting to get its big men back.