GREEN BAY, Wis. — Coming out of the bye week, the Green Bay Packers' offensive line still isn't at full strength.
Starting left tackle Rasheed Walker, who has been dealing with a quad injury for a couple of weeks now, missed practice on Thursday before returning in a limited capacity on Friday. His status for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals is up in the air, which is wildly significant considering their pass rush is led by last year's sack leader in Trey Hendrickson.
What's even more concerning is the fact that Hendrickson—with the exception of just 37 snaps through five games—primarily spends his time on the defense's right side, or against the left tackle. While Walker has been far from the player that he has blossomed into since first protecting Jordan Love's blindside at the beginning of the 2023 campaign, he still provides a level of continuity that the Packers have come to familiarize themselves with.
If not Walker, the Packers will likely deploy former first-round pick Jordan Morgan in his place. It would be the first career start at left tackle for Morgan, who has served almost exclusively as a guard since entering the league last year. Injuries and a seemingly never-ending quest on the part of the Packers' front office to invest in the offensive line have kept Morgan from truly cementing himself as a fixture. When he's played, whether it's in the preseason or in scattered regular-season snaps, he's performed well. This will be the first opportunity for the Packers to utilize Morgan at left tackle in a meaningful game—a position he didn't stray from at Arizona State.
(Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
Sunday could mark a career-defining moment for Morgan. There have been murmurs that the Packers' plans for him included making him their long-term left tackle, which would align with Walker's timeline. The former seventh-round pick is currently in the last year of his four-year rookie contract, positioning him to enter unrestricted free agency in the spring, barring something unforeseen.
The Packers are expected to be without second-round rookie Anthony Belton against the Bengals, leaving Donovan Jennings and Darrian Kinnard as the only reserves on the bench. They may opt to elevate either Dalton Cooper or Lecitus Smith from the practice squad for some added depth. Jacob Monk's return could be on the table as well after he was designated to return from injured reserve on Monday. With his 21-day window opened, the Packers have until Oct. 27 to activate Monk to the 53-man roster.
Walker first appeared on the Packers' injury report heading into the Sept. 28 meeting with the Dallas Cowboys, but he was able to log a full practice by the end of the week, so there didn't appear to be cause for concern. He may have aggravated his injury during the game and the added time to recover through the bye week wasn't sufficient.
In 146 pass-blocking snaps through the Packers' four games, Walker leads the team in pressure allowed with 13 and has also surrendered two sacks. Right tackle Zach Tom and left guard Aaron Banks are both expected to return to the Packers' lineup for the first time since Sept. 21 against the Cleveland Browns.
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 11th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com