After three weeks of offensive line misery, the Packers are reaching for help wherever they can find it.
Green Bay is signing guard Laken Tomlinson from the Cowboys’ practice squad, according to a joint report from Ian Rapoport and Mike Clemens. It’s a move born out of necessity as much as anything else, with the Packers desperate for bodies after a rough start up front.
Tomlinson brings a long NFL résumé to Green Bay. The former first-round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2015 has played in 173 regular season games and started 162. He has also been in seven playoff games, including wins over the Packers in 2019 and 2021 while with the San Francisco 49ers.
His peak came a while ago. Tomlinson was a Pro Bowler in 2021, but since then he’s been on the move: the Jets in 2022 and 2023, the Seahawks in 2024, the Texans in 2025, and then Dallas this year. He has not played in a game in 2026.
The recent numbers don’t paint a flattering picture either. Tomlinson’s Pro Football Focus grades have not climbed above a 62.5 overall in any of the last four seasons.
In 2025, he ranked 63rd among 90 guards who played at least 200 snaps. Houston was willing to let him go for a practice squad salary, which says plenty about where his market stood.
Even so, Green Bay’s situation has gotten so ugly that almost anything is an upgrade. The Packers’ offensive line has been near the bottom by just about every measure, and “bad” may not even be harsh enough. They need help, and they need it now.
Because Tomlinson is being signed off the Cowboys’ practice squad, the Packers must keep him on the 53-man roster for at least three weeks under CBA rules. That shouldn’t be an issue. Zach Bako-Bewele is expected to go on injured reserve, which clears a spot.
At 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds, Tomlinson gives the Packers a veteran body with some level of competence, and right now that matters. It’s fair to wonder whether this is too little, too late, but late September doesn’t leave many better options.
Tomlinson has played left guard almost exclusively since 2016. The only exception came that year, when he logged 65 snaps at right guard over two games.
Green Bay has shown it’s willing to shuffle just about anyone anywhere on the line, but left guard still looks like the likeliest landing spot. Aaron Banks doesn’t appear close to returning, Jager Burton has already bounced around, and Donovan Jennings hasn’t solved the left side problem.
The Packers may still be staring at a bleak situation, and Tomlinson probably isn’t a cure-all. But for a line that has been hard to watch, any help is worth taking.
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Packers Offense Already Has A Lambeau Problem
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Christian Watson didnt try to soften the mood afterward, acknowledging that the frustration from the crowd was tied directly to how the offense played. For a team that expects Lambeau to be a lift, not a source of tension, the challenge now is straightforward but unforgiving: clean up the offensive issues quickly enough to give fans something better to believe in. [Read more 🡒]