The Green Bay Packers‘ pursuit of the Lombardi has already taken a significant hit, with an offensive lineman out for the season after suffering an injury in Week 2. A good reason behind their 9-7-1 run last season was their struggling offensive line, with Zach Bako-Bewele, Aaron Banks, and Elgton Jenkins all missing time with injuries. And in a deja vu of last year, the team has lost Bako-Bewele to the same injury again.

“#Packers RT Zach Bako-Bewele (formerly Zach Tom) suffered a torn patellar tendon on Sunday and will miss the rest of the 2026 NFL season, he told reporters,” reported NFL insider Ari Meirov on September 22. “A gut-punch loss for Green Bay’s offensive line.”

Bako-Bewele suffered the injury during the first quarter of Sunday’s 20-17 overtime road victory over the New York Jets. While the Packers were initially unsure of its severity, head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game that the offensive lineman could be out “for a long time.”

The injury occurred while Bako-Bewele was blocking David Bailey during a third-down incompletion. But the 2022 fourth-round pick was surprisingly unaware of the reason behind his injury.

“I mean, I don’t think the turf helped,” Bako-Bewele said. “Yeah, I don’t know. Just something that happened, so I’ve just got to move forward.”

When it comes to Bako-Bewele, no doubt he is one of the best offensive linemen in Green Bay. However, his excellence comes with a disclaimer: “when he is healthy.” Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Wake Forest product has made 53 starts.

But just as excellence has followed the offensive lineman, so have injuries. The Packers have already gone through this pain of losing him to injury last year. Quite surprisingly, he had partially torn his patellar tendon in the same knee during a Dec. 14 loss at Denver and missed the rest of the 2025 season.

Ahead of the 2026 Week 1 game, Bako-Bewele was a limited participant in practice after an offseason surgery for last year’s injury. However, he was determined to make a comeback and perform at an “elite level.”

This time around, as reported by Matt Schneidman of The Athletic, Bako-Bewele will undergo surgery and will need nine months to recover.

Not good timing for Green Bay to afford losing Bako-Bewele. Standing at 1-1, the Packers face the Atlanta Falcons in their home opener Thursday night at Lambeau Field.

The Packers have been dealing with injury concerns since Week 1. Left guard Aaron Banks missed the season-opening loss at Minnesota because of a knee issue. Even though Sunday’s game ushered in some hope with Banks starting, the good times did not last long. He left in the first half with a toe injury.

Green Bay’s offensive line has been a significant concern through two games, and Bako-Bewele’s absence could make immediate improvement seem like a far-fetched dream. ESPN Analytics ranks the Packers last in pass-block win rate through two games, while RotoWire’s Ian Hartitz shows quarterback Jordan Love is facing pressure an average of 2.36 seconds after the snap, the fastest mark in the NFL.

More concerning: Love’s struggles have continued when he comes under pressure. NFL Pro data shows he has completed just 38.5% of his passes in those situations, 15.8 percentage points below expectation (via Yardbarker).

In that case, losing Bako-Bewele to injury creates a hole in the heart of the Packers’ offensive line. On an already struggling offensive line, it’s now on Anthony Belton to hold the reins tightly in Bako-Bewele’s absence. However, even in that replacement, a question emerged on Tuesday.

Green Bay Packers Get Another Worry After Zach Bako-Bewele’s Injury

After Zach Bako-Bewele left the Jets game, Anthony Belton stepped in at right tackle and was called for holding on two occasions. The 2025 second-round pick worked almost exclusively at tackle during the summer, stepping in for the limited Bako-Bewele. The decision raised questions at the time, especially since he was viewed as a contender for the starting right guard spot, which went to Jacob Monk. However, it now looks like the Packers made the right call.

While Green Bay was in search of a backup tackle, Belton’s skill set made him a logical choice. The 6-foot-6, 336-pound lineman also played left tackle in college, giving him experience at the position. He entered the 2026 season having played just 86 snaps at right tackle as a rookie and 56 after filling in for Bako-Bewele.

With the veteran out, it’s time for Belton to make the most of the experience he gathered during training camp. But turns out the situation might not be in his favor to give his 100%.

On Tuesday, the Packers added Belton to the injury report, listed as a limited participant with an elbow injury.

“I would anticipate him being out there, but we still got 48 hours,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur about Belton ahead of Thursday’s Week 3 game against the Falcons.

The Packers would need Belton to be ready for Thursday. If not, both fans and LaFleur will be losing sleep over the right tackle depth issue.