GREEN BAY — Aaron Banks insists he will play in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Zach Tom talked like a guy who won’t.
That was the long and short of the Green Bay Packers offensive line situation on Wednesday, when Banks, the team’s starting left guard, and Tom, the starting right tackle, were both listed as limited participants in practice — even though they didn’t sound like they were in the same category.
Both Banks (ankle/groin) and Tom (oblique) sustained injuries during the Packers’ Sept. 7 season-opening win over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field and missed last week’s “Thursday Night Football” victory over the Washington Commanders.
Tom said he only did “a little bit” of individual drill work during Wednesday’s practice and no 11-on-11 work. While he said the medical staff is “going to see how I feel” on Sunday, he admitted he still has pain when he runs.
“It’s kind of hard to run. That’s the main thing,” Tom said. “I feel like moving side to side I’m good, but anything that involves me trying to get out and open up, that’s where I can feel it a little bit.”
Tom said he has been told that doctors told him that the injury will not require surgery but when asked if he’s optimistic about playing against the Browns, Tom delivered a pregnant pause.
“Um,” he finally replied, “ask me tomorrow.”
There was no such hedging from Banks, who reiterated what he’d said on Monday about playing against the Browns: He’s in.
“I’m good,” Banks said. “I’ll be up on Sunday. I hate not being out there.”
With Tom out, the Packers started rookie second-round pick Anthony Belton at right tackle with Darian Kinnard but played the entire second half. Of the Packers’ 68 offensive snaps against the Commanders, Belton played 51 snaps and Kinnard played just 17.
The Packers started 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan at left guard with Banks out, and while the coaches view him as their sixth man on the offensive line, it seems more likely that they would stick with Belton at right tackle if Tom doesn’t play but Banks does.
Offensive line coach Luke Butkus praised Belton’s resilience after Belton’s early holding penalty wiped out what would have been a 39-yard touchdown from quarterback Jordan Love. Reed sustained a broken right collarbone on the play.
“I was pleasantly surprised. Not just how well he played, but just everything — his effort, his intensity, his detail. He had a few things to clean up — we all do, every game, every play, every practice — but he was locked in, ready to play, and it wasn’t too big for him,” Butkus said.
“He bounced back well. He is a tough-minded kid, and he plays extremely hard, and he’s a talented player.”
With Tom and Banks both being officially listed as limited on the team’s injury report, Reed was the only member of the 53-man roster not to take part in practice. (He’s expected to be placed on injured reserve with the designation to return later in the season sometime this week.)
Cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) was limited, just as he was last week before playing against the Commanders. Running back Josh Jacobs (ankle) was on the injury report for the first time this season and was listed as limited, as was cornerback Bo Melton (shoulder), who missed the win over Washington after getting hurt against Detroit.
Most notably, defensive end Micah Parsons’ name was nowhere to be found on the report after being listed as questionable for his first two games with his new team because of a lingering back injury.
Asked if Parsons could play with no limitations on his snap count, head coach Matt LaFleur replied, “That’s something we’ll talk about throughout the course of the week.”
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