After injury-derailed first season in Green Bay, the veteran offensive lineman wants to take a more vocal leadership approach \u2014 and stay healthy\u00a0\u2014 to help his younger teammates<\/p>\n
GREEN BAY \u2014 Aaron Banks\u2019 first season with the Green Bay Packers was a disappointment. Especially to Aaron Banks.<\/p>\n
Coming over from the San Francisco 49ers on a four-year, $77 million free-agent deal that contained a $27 million signing bonus, Banks\u2019 injury issues nagged him before the season even began, with back and knee issues limiting him throughout camp.<\/p>\n
And although he only missed two games (one with an ankle injury, another with a groin injury), he missed parts of two others and played at less than 100% for most of the year, and his performance showed it. His overall grade of 53.5 from Pro Football Focus ranked him 64th out of 81 guards the site graded, and he played only 749 of the offense\u2019s 1,051 regular-season snaps (71.3%).<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, there were a lot of frustrating moments,\u201d Banks confessed during the team\u2019s offseason program. \u201cSome of which [was], just being frustrated at myself, just looking in the mirror like, \u2018Man, just get healthy. We\u2019ve got to go show them who you are and what you can do.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s frustration always when you deal with injuries. But I\u2019m excited to come into this season and be healthy, have a year under my belt with the guys, have that camaraderie, build that togetherness amongst the O-line and just keep taking steps forward every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Packers appear convinced that that\u2019s exactly what will happen with Banks, who\u2019ll turn 29 on Sept. 3, 10 days before the season kicks off on Sept. 13 at Minnesota. The way his contract was structured, the team could have easily moved on from Banks after just one year, but instead restructured his contract to guarantee even more of the money in it.<\/p>\n
Banks had a $9.5 million roster bonus due in March and was scheduled to be paid a $7.7 million base salary in 2026. Although releasing him would have left the Packers with more than $36 million in dead cap money, his nearly $25 million cap number would also have been wiped out \u2014 meaning it would have only cost them about $11 million in net cap room to move on.<\/p>\n
Instead, the Packers converted most of that money into a signing bonus, allowing them to spread out the salary-cap charge and lower Banks\u2019 cap number. He got nearly $16 million in guaranteed money \u2014 meaning he\u2019d gotten roughly $44.5 million from the team in a 12-month span \u2014 and sending a very clear signal that they want him to be a stalwart on their line.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, [we saw] flashes, and I think he\u2019ll tell you the same,\u201d offensive line coach Luke Butkus said. \u201cHe will never make an excuse \u2014 I\u2019m not making an excuse for him either \u2014 [but] he was banged up, he was in a new system, but he\u2019ll be the first one to tell you, it doesn\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to come to work. Did we see some really good things? Absolutely. And then there\u2019s some things we need to clean up, and that\u2019s our job as coaches [and] his as a player \u2014 to have a vision of what he needs to do to get better. But coming back for the second year, I think he\u2019s a guy that\u2019s going to be really good for us, and really good for the younger guys in the room.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s Banks\u2019 goal, too \u2014 to play better, and be a better leader after the team released Elgton Jenkins, a former Pro Bowl left guard who moved to center after Banks\u2019 signing and was the unquestioned leader in the room before his season-ending leg injury last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never been like a super rah-rah type of guy. I\u2019m more of a lead-by-hard-work, lead-by-example guy,\u201d Banks said. \u201cBut being the oldest guy in the room now, I don\u2019t have a choice. Me doing those things and stepping out of my comfort zone will help everybody else maybe step out of their comfort zone and just put it all out there.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all moving forward. Not leaving anybody behind. Everybody gets better, everybody eats, everybody works. It\u2019s newer, but I\u2019m accepting it. I\u2019m taking it as I go.\u201d<\/p>\n
About our \u201cMost Important Packers of 2026\u201d Series:\u00a0\u00a0When the Packers kick off their eighth training camp under head coach Matt LaFleur on July 29, they\u2019ll do so with a host of players facing pivotal seasons. LaFleur clearly believes he has ample talent to be a Super Bowl contender \u2014 and felt that way about last year\u2019s team until an avalanche of injuries to key players ultimately took its toll \u2014 but turning that belief into reality will require a host of players to elevate their games (and stay healthy).<\/p>\n