The Packers head into Sunday’s season opener against the Vikings with two of their starting offensive linemen hanging in the balance.
Green Bay listed left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele as questionable on Friday’s final injury report. Bako-Bewele has been dealing with a knee issue and was limited in practice all week, though he told reporters earlier in the week that he expected to play on Sunday, and to play a full game.
Banks has been managing knee tendinitis, a problem that has interrupted his training camp and kept him limited again this week. If he can’t go, the Packers would turn to 5th-round rookie Jager Burton.
Linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper is also questionable because of an Achilles tendon issue. The only player ruled out is defensive tackle Warren Brinson, who hurt his calf in warmups before the Packers’ preseason finale and hasn’t practiced since.
There is better news elsewhere on the Packers’ report. Left tackle Jordan Morgan was limited on Wednesday with a knee issue, but he practiced fully the rest of the week and carries no injury status for Sunday. Defensive linemen Barryn Sorrell, Javon Hargrave, and Devonte Wyatt also went through the week with various limitations, yet none of them were given an injury designation and they should be available.
Minnesota, by contrast, enters the game clean. The Vikings have no players listed with any injury statuses on their report, leaving them with a full 53-man roster available for the opener.
In Other News...
Matt LaFleur Put Packers Leadership Under Fire With Josh Jacobs Response
Josh Jacobs legal case has put the Packers in an uncomfortable public spot, and Matt LaFleur was the first prominent voice from the organization to address it. The running back pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges tied to a domestic incident earlier this year, and LaFleur used a recent press conference to acknowledge the situation while also voicing support for Jacobs and speaking to his character.
The comments may have answered one question about where the head coach stands, but they also underscored how little the team has said publicly about the larger issue. The Packers have not detailed their position on the matter, leaving LaFleurs response to carry the weight of the organizations messaging for now. [Read more 🡒]
Former Packers Draft Pick At Center Of Disturbing Federal Case
LeShon Johnson, a former Packers draft pick and NFL running back, is back in the news for all the wrong reasons after a federal court handed down a prison sentence in a disturbing dogfighting case. Johnson received five years in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a $30,000 fine after being convicted on six felonies tied to the operation.
Federal authorities said 190 dogs were seized from Johnsons Oklahoma property, the largest canine seizure in a federal dogfighting case connected to one person. The case also revived a painful old chapter, since Johnson had already pleaded guilty to state dogfighting charges in 2004 and was found to have been breeding and trafficking pit bulls for fighting since at least 2007. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Just Pulled An Unusual Bo Melton Move Before Week 1
The Packers made a roster tweak on the eve of Week 1 that says as much about their depth plans as it does about Bo Meltons versatility. Green Bay released the fourth-year receiver, but he is expected to stay close by on the practice squad and then be elevated for the opener against the Vikings, a setup that keeps him in the mix without using a permanent spot on the 53-man roster.
Melton has been with the Packers since they drafted him in 2022, and his path has already included work as both a receiver and, briefly, a cornerback. For Green Bay, the move underscores how the team views him as a useful depth piece in the passing attack, even if his roster status for the long haul still has to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]