It’s been an up-and-down start to the 2025 season for the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line. They opened strong, allowing only five pressures in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions. However, they had a string of bad luck after that game.
Zach Tom injured his hip on a play that stemmed from Aidan Hutchinson’s shove on Jordan Love. Although Hutchinson was flagged for unnecessary roughness, the 15-yard penalty was declined. The collision caused Tom to lose his balance and fall awkwardly, leading to an injury that sidelined him for much of the following weeks.
The injury sidelined the All-Pro caliber right tackle in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders and Week 4 against the Dallas Cowboys. He tried to return in Week 3 against the Cleveland Browns, but re-aggravated the injury after just one snap.
Green Bay’s offensive line handled Tom’s absence well on a short turnaround against the Commanders, allowing only 11 pressures and no sacks. But their play has dipped since then. They gave up 17 pressures, 11 hurries, and five sacks against the Cleveland Browns, followed by 19 pressures and 13 hurries against the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Al Golden’s defense generated multiple pressures with just a three-man rush.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Packers rank 26th in pass-blocking efficiency entering Week 7 — a noticeable drop for a unit that had been among the top 10 in that category over the past three seasons. While they’re missing Tom, his absence alone should not be the sole explanation for the offensive line’s overall decline. Green Bay needs to find a way to get its trenches back in order. Fortunately for them, a notable coaching option has just become available on the market.
Bill Callahan.
Callahan is the father of former Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan, who the team fired on Monday. Following his son’s dismissal, Bill — who served as Tennessee’s offensive line coach — also decided to leave the organization.
He has over 40 years of coaching experience, having worked his way up from high school ball to the NFL. He has been in the league since 1995, aside from his four seasons as head coach at Nebraska. Throughout his career, he has held a wide range of offensive roles, including head coach, assistant head coach, offensive line coach, tight ends coach, and offensive coordinator. He also served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders for two seasons, from 2002 to 2003.
Bill Callahan never worked side by side with Matt LaFleur, but he spent two seasons coaching Washington’s offensive line when Sean McVay was the team’s offensive coordinator. That stint gave him a firm grasp of the system’s fundamentals, even if LaFleur has adapted it to his own style.
LaFleur has a track record of bringing in additional coaching support during the season. For example, the Packers added Robert Saleh as an offensive analyst after the New York Jets fired him last year.
Furthermore, Bill Callahan’s experience in developing offensive lines could be particularly valuable if Jordan Morgan and Anthony Belton were to become consistent, reliable starters. It would also be crucial for Aaron Banks’ development into a Pro Bowl-caliber guard — and one could say the Packers have 77 million reasons to expect exactly that.
Bill Callahan should draw strong interest from teams across the league, because it is rare for such an experienced offensive mind to be available. The Packers are in win-now mode, and if they want to make a run at the Lombardi Trophy, their offensive line will need to return to the level it performed at in recent years. Adding Callahan could be a key step in getting that unit back on track.