Matt LaFleur didn’t just walk away from Green Bay’s win over Chicago with a division victory and a lopsided final score. He also left with something that could matter even more down the line: proof that the Packers suddenly have options up front.
That matters because Kevin Zeitler was active in street clothes, and LaFleur’s explanation for keeping him on the sideline points to a line that’s finally earning trust instead of demanding rescue.
“I thought Glove, going back to last week in his performance in Tampa, earned the right to continue to go out there,” the coach said postgame. “And Zeitler, he just got here.
He’s only had one true week of practice. He’s had one solid week of practice where he was getting team reps.
It’s always a tough decision, but that’s the decision we made.”
The coach had a point. Glover held up well, allowing only a couple of pressures and one quarterback hit while helping create room in the running game.
For a Packers offensive line that looked shaky not long ago, that’s a significant shift. In Week 5, the group gave up just six pressures.
That’s what makes this development so encouraging for Green Bay. A unit that had been a problem area is now showing signs of becoming a strength, and the turnaround started when Laken Tomlinson arrived.
Zeitler is the kind of veteran many teams would plug in immediately, and there’s little doubt he’d be capable if called on. But the fact that LaFleur felt comfortable sticking with Glover says plenty about where this line is right now. There’s competition, there’s stability, and there’s room for the group to get even better.
That kind of pressure works both ways. Having someone capable of taking your job is usually enough to keep everyone sharp, and this Packers line needed that more than most. The issue earlier wasn’t just poor play - it was the lack of depth behind it.
What’s changed now is simple: Green Bay is no longer constantly moving pieces around just to survive. Jordan Morgan still has work to do at left tackle, but the overall direction is finally positive.
Aaron Banks will have to battle to get back on the field once he’s fully healthy, too, and it’s hard to see him reclaiming his spot if Tomlinson keeps playing like this.
Two weeks ago, this line looked like a mess. Now it looks like a group with real choices.
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