After three weeks and three disastrous performances from the offensive line, the Packers are finally adding some help.

According to a joint report from Ian Rapoport and Mike Clemens, the Packers are signing guard Laken Tomlinson from the Cowboys’ practice squad.

A first round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2015, Tomlinson has a wealth of NFL experience. At 34 years old, Tomlinson has appeared in 173 regular season games, starting 162. He’s also appeared in seven playoff games, including wins over the Packers in 2019 and 2021 as a member of the San Francisco 49ers.

Unfortunately, Tomlinson’s best days appear to be behind him. Though he was a Pro Bowler in 2021, he’s been in the journeyman phase of his career since then. He spent 2022 and 2023 with the Jets, 2024 with the Seahawks, and 2025 with the Texans before landing with Dallas this year. He has yet to appear in a game in 2026.

Though not a perfect metric for evaluating player performance, his Pro Football Focus grades show the reason for his diminishing roles. He hasn’t graded higher than a 62.5 overall in any of the last four seasons, and in 2025, he was the 63rd ranked guard (out of 90) among players who were on the field for at least 200 snaps. Hardly a force to be reckoned with, and it’s telling that Houston, hardly awash in offensive line talent, was willing to move on when Tomlinson could be had for as little as a practice squad salary.

Still, the Packers have even less to go by on the offensive line at the moment. Pick any metric you choose and their line will rank at or near the bottom. Perhaps even under the bottom. You wouldn’t be out of line hiring a team of archaeologists to dig down into the depths to which the Packers’ offensive line has sunk. It’s been bad, suffice it to say.

And speaking of the practice squad, since the Packers are signing Tomlinson off the Cowboys’ practice squad, they have to commit to him being a member of the 53 man roster for at least three weeks, per CBA rules. That’s not going to be a problem, though; with Zach Bako-Bewele assuredly heading to injured reserve, they’ll have a free spot for Tomlinson. It’s just a matter of lasting beyond those three weeks, and it’s hard to see him not being at least as good as the options the Packers have now, which really isn’t saying much, but you get it.

If Tomlinson, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 323 pounds, can at least provide a healthy body and relative competence, that puts the Packers in a much better place than they’ve been to this point. It’s worth asking if it’s too little, too late, but beggars can hardly be choosers when you’re looking for offensive line help in late September.

Tomlinson hasn’t taken a snap anywhere other than left guard since 2016, when he made a 65 snap cameo at right guard over the span of two games (62 snaps in one game, three in the other). The Packers are willing to play anyone, anywhere, anytime on the offensive line, so it’s hardly a guarantee that’s where Tomlinson will end up, but it’s a good bet. There’s no indication Aaron Banks is going to be ready to go any time soon, Jager Burton has moved around a bit, and Donovan Jennings clearly isn’t the answer on the left side. You might as well start with Tomlinson there and see what happens.

Things look pretty bleak for the Packers right now, and Tomlinson might not be the answer to anything that ails them. But at least it’s something, and the Packers aren’t in position to turn down any help at all.