The Packers got the win they needed against the Jets, but the night came with two injuries that could reshape the offense fast. Green Bay survived 20-17 in overtime, yet wide receiver Jayden Reed was carted off with a neck injury on the second play of the game, and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele exited one snap later with a knee injury.
Reed’s absence would be manageable in a way the Packers can live with. Matthew Golden and Christian Watson give Green Bay enough at receiver to absorb that loss, and the position looks like a strength. The real problem is up front, where Bako-Bewele’s injury could leave a huge hole and force Anthony Belton into a role that does not look remotely ideal.
After the game, head coach Matt LaFleur did not offer much optimism about Bako-Bewele’s outlook, saying he could be out for a long time. That puts Belton in line to step in, and that is a shaky solution for a team trying to keep its offense afloat.
Belton, a second-round pick in 2024, has bounced around the line and never locked down a steady starting job. He was expected to open this season at right guard, but Jacob Monk passed him on the depth chart. Now Belton is the swing tackle, and if Bako-Bewele is out for the year, he becomes the next man up at right tackle.
That is where the trouble really starts. Belton has not done much over the past two seasons to suggest he can stabilize the position. He has played 60 offensive snaps this year, all at right tackle, and has allowed three total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Green Bay also does not have much else waiting in the wings unless it wants to give John Williams a shot. So if the Packers want a cleaner answer than crossing their fingers with Belton, the move is obvious: call Jacksonville about Walker Little.
Little started for the Jaguars last season before being benched in 2025, but he has shown enough to look like a real option. He can play both tackle spots, which gives him value for a Packers team that needs help on the edge. Jacksonville had trade interest around him in the offseason, but held onto him because he was insurance while Cole Van Lanen recovered from a knee injury suffered in 2025.
Now that Van Lanen is healthy, the Jaguars could be more open to moving Little. He carries a base salary of $11 million in 2026 and $12 million the following year, which is not cheap, but it is also not out of reach for Green Bay if the front office decides the line needs immediate help.
There is also reason to think Little can still hold up. He gave up nine sacks last season, per PFF, but before that he had allowed just eight sacks across 1,128 pass-blocking snaps over four years.
If the Packers are going to make a move, the price matters too. A conditional fourth-round pick that could become a third based on playing time or other factors would fit as a fair return for a veteran tackle who could step in right away.
Green Bay is not at panic mode yet. But with Bako-Bewele’s status suddenly in doubt, the Packers need to think hard about preventing that from becoming the next step.
In Other News...
Bears Offensive Problem Just Got Harder For Ben Johnson To Ignore
The Bears offense was already in a tough spot before Caleb Williams left Sundays 9-3 loss to the Vikings with a hamstring injury. Chicago moved the ball better than Minnesota in total yards, but it never turned that into a touchdown, and the day turned into another reminder that sustaining drives and finishing possessions are still very much a problem. Williams went 15 of 26 for 138 yards with an interception before exiting, and the lack of rhythm around him made the entire unit look stuck in place.
Now Ben Johnson has a bigger question hanging over a team that already needed answers. The Bears are set to face the Eagles next, and if Williams cannot go, the offense will have to be reshaped on the fly while also trying to fix the same issues that showed up against Minnesota. For a staff looking for signs of progress, the timing could hardly be worse. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Fans Got One Bit Of Relief After A Brutal Week
The week did not get any kinder for the Bears after their loss to the Vikings, especially with the Caleb Williams injury situation now hanging over everything as Chicago looks ahead. At 1-2, the margin for error is already thin, and the next stretch only gets more important if the rookie quarterbacks availability remains in question.
Green Bay, however, gave Bears fans a small dose of comfort on Sunday by taking a 35-14 beating from the Falcons. Jordan Love never settled in, and the Packers defense had no answer for Bijan Robinson, offering Chicago at least a reminder that the NFC North race is still very much unsettled even as the Bears sort through their own concerns. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Head Into Monday Night With A QB Problem Nobody Wanted
The Bears are heading into Monday night with the kind of quarterback uncertainty nobody in the building wanted this early in the season. Ben Johnson said all three quarterbacks on the roster have a chance to play in Week 3, which leaves Chicago waiting on Caleb Williams as he deals with a hamstring injury and Tyson Bagent as he works through concussion protocol.
If both of those situations keep him out, Case Keenum is lined up to start, with Miller Moss positioned as the fourth-string option and an emergency backup. It is an uneasy place for a team trying to settle into a new rhythm under Johnson, especially with the spotlight of Monday Night Football waiting and no clear answer yet on who will take the first snap. [Read more 🡒]