GREEN BAY – Zach Tom was in midst of a quiet, WiFi-less flight to Green Bay when news broke Monday that the Packers and their fourth-year tackle had agreed to a contract extension.
And Tom wouldn’t have had it any other way.
“I let my agent handle it all,” said Tom with a smile. “He just called me when I landed and told me it got done. That was it. I’m done with that.”
While thrilled to get a long-term deal in place, Tom put blinders on the second his representatives and the Packers organization opened contract talks earlier this year.
Tom instructed his agents to pass along any key information but otherwise leave him to his training for a key 2025 season.
The most recent in a line of fourth-round finds on the Packers’ offensive line, Tom has started 39 of his 43 career games since his arrival in 2022.
After rotating in at left tackle and left guard as a rookie, the offensive lineman who made a name for himself with versatility has since blossomed into one of the NFL’s premier right tackles.
Tom is one of only two offensive linemen in the NFL to start 35-plus games in 2022-24 and not be penalized for holding, according to TruMedia. He’s also the only Packers offensive player to start all 34 regular-season games in 2023-24.
It seemed like only a matter of time before the Packers would lock in the 26-year-old Tom. Tom said he had an inkling the two sides were close as he packed for training camp, but little did he know a deal would be in place by the time he got to town.
After speaking with his agent, Tom placed an emotional phone call to family and spoke with Head Coach Matt LaFleur over FaceTime.
“It’s awesome any time you get a guy that gets rewarded like that and he’s earned it,” LaFleur said. “I’m confident he’s gonna do what’s got him here and it’s just coming out, attacking it the right way, putting in the work and just being a consistent force for us.”
Tom demonstrated grit, toughness and resolve in 2024 after tearing his pectoral muscle early in the offseason program. Sidelined for the first half of camp, Tom bounced back to start all 18 games for the Packers last season (including playoffs).