Can the Packers survive Zach Bako-Bewele's season-ending injury?

The Green Bay Packers got the news they were dreading regarding Zach Bako-Bewele’s injury, as it has been confirmed the right tackle has a torn patellar injury which will knock him out for the year.

Bako-Bewele suffered the injury on the Packers’ third offensive play against the Jets, and it is the same patellar which he partially tore near the end of last season. It is a devastating blow for a Green Bay offensive line that already looked shaky and will now be without its best player for the remainder of the season. The question now is whether they have any hope of surviving without ZBB.

If that is to happen, Anthony Belton will have to step up and play up to his draft pedigree first and foremost.

The 2025 second-round pick practiced almost exclusively at tackle during the summer, and while that decision was questioned at the time – as he was presumed to be in the competition to start at right guard despite not practicing there – it now looks like a wise decision by the Packers.

They needed to know who the backup tackle was, and Belton’s profile most leant itself to the position among Green Bay’s options. He has the size at 6-6 and 336 pounds and was a left tackle in college.

Belton played just 86 snaps at tackle as a rookie, before 56 on Sunday after stepping in for Bako-Bewele. The Packers will be hoping his experience during training camp will stand him in good stead to take over at right tackle. They are relying on him to rise to the challenge.

In the three games he has played there, Belton had a 66.6 pass block grade against the Commanders last year, 39.2 versus the Browns and 60.5 against the Jets on Sunday, when he allowed only three quarterback hurries in pass protection, but did commit two penalties.

The injury to Bako-Bewele also has a knock-on effect as there is less depth across the entire line. In a best-case scenario health-wise, the Packers will now have a starting five of Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk and Belton.

 With ZBB out, none of their offensive lineman have a PFF grade higher than 58.2 through two games (60 is average).

The top options from the bench will be Jager Burton, Donovan Jennings and John Williams. There are more injuries though, as Banks and Jennings were both estimated to be DNPs on Monday’s injury report with knee/toe injuries for the former and a hand issue for the latter.

If Banks and Jennings cannot go on Thursday against Atlanta, Burton would presumably step in at left guard. Frankly, it is hard to imagine the Packers cobbling together an offensive line capable of going on a run to the Super Bowl, which is the team’s expectation.

That is dependent on some significant development from a group of mostly young linemen, and an impressive coaching job to not only eradicate the mental errors that have plagued them early on, but also come up with effective plans to protect (or hide) the weaknesses of the O-line.

It is hard to know whether O-line coach Luke Butkus is doing as little to improve the situation as the outside seems to have decided, but if they are to salvage the situation, it is going to take a huge effort from players and coaches alike, and right now, there is not much reason for optimism.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Can the Packers survive Zach Bako-Bewele’s season-ending injury?