Injuries to key players are some of the absolute worst things to happen in professional sports. They can derail a team's season before it even gets started. You're a hot team heading into the middle of the season at 6-2, but then your star left tackle goes down for six weeks. How are you going to protect the blind side of your quarterback now?
Years ago, it wasn't uncommon to see a team immediately look elsewhere for replacements, whether it be free agency, the waiver wire, or to their best trade options at the deadline. They had to, because whoever else was on their depth chart to replace the injured player just wasn't going to cut it as a starter to maintain the high level the team is used to receiving from the position for that many games.
Perhaps one of the best examples in Packers' history is that after Antonio Freeman broke his arm in 1996, the Packers were left with very few threats at receiver outside of Don Beebe for a few games. So, Ron Wolf went out and got Andre Rison off waivers. We all know how Rison impacted the 1996 season, especially his touchdown at the start of Super Bowl XXXI.
Around the league today, you still see that same mentality with other franchises. Once a key player goes down, a new player is brought in. That demonstrates a lack of quality depth. For the Green Bay Packers in the latter half of the last 20 years, this has not been an issue. It's always been the next man up. From Mike McCarthy to Matt LaFleur, whenever they're asked who will replace an injured player, they always look to the next player on the depth chart. And for the most part, that depth player fills in just fine.
Just one game into the 2025 season, the Packers immediately had their offensive line depth tested. With Zach Tom suffering an oblique injury and Aaron Banks dealing with an ankle and groin injury, the team had two holes to fill on its offensive line within a few days. Disaster right? Not for a team that invests in the depth of their roster. Former first-round pick Jordan Morgan filled in nicely at left guard in place of Aaron Banks, and this year's second-round pick, Anthony Belton, filled in fairly well also at right tackle. Across from these two young players was one of the most experienced defensive fronts in the league, and they held their own and then some.
Many fans glued themselves to the fact that Anthony Belton was flagged for offensive holding on the first drive of the game, and had a few struggles early, but overall, he played 28 pass-blocking snaps and didn't allow a single pressure. Many had Darian Kinnard penciled in as the Zach Tom replacement for Thursday night, but it appeared that Matt LaFleur decided that what's the point of drafting a lineman so high if you're not at least going to play him in relief of your starters? Kinnard played 17 total snaps while Belton played 51 at right tackle. I'd say being cast into the fire like Anthony Belton was on Thursday night against a good Washington front seven and holding his own pretty well is enough to hang your hat on.
There's a chance Belton may be called on to play this Sunday if Zach Tom isn't ready to go yet, and if so, he'll be facing possibly one of the biggest tests possible, having to block the Browns' all-pro pass rusher, Myles Garrett.
Belton and Tom may not be the only "next man up" examples we see early this year. With Jayden Reed's injury and obvious future absence for several games, the Packers' wide receiver depth will need to step up. Given all the options they have at the position, Reed probably won't just be replaced by one person, but there is a chance third-round pick Savion Williams could see some extended time on the field with Reed out. In the first two games of the season, Williams was kept more as a situational gadget player than a rotating wide receiver, only seeing 11 offensive snaps, but between him and Malik Heath, we could see an increase in action.
The evolution of the next-man-up mentality in Green Bay has allowed them to keep up their momentum as well as team chemistry. Quickly replacing the next man on the depth chart with an outsider before they truly get a chance does not do well in the locker room. Promoting the next man on the depth chart shows confidence from the coaching staff and front office in those they have in the locker room. It shows players that, despite not starting, they could still have a place on this team should the time come. The team that lifts the Lombardi trophy at season’s end is the one overflowing with confidence and chemistry.