Green Bay Packers left guard Aaron Banks has had a rocky time with the team since they signed him in free agency. He started his second training camp with the team on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and while he was activated shortly after, he has been missing plenty of training camp due to a knee issue.
When asked about the issue with his knee and a potential offseason procedure that could have occurred between OTAs, when he was healthy, and training camp, LaFleur gave a stern answer.
He told reporters that he would let Banks answer that question.
That certainly was not a no. However, if LaFleur and the team knew about or were for him getting a procedure, LaFleur likely would have been more forthcoming and less willing to put the pressure back on the player.
Signaling that the player should speak for himself is a sign that he might have gone against the team in this situation. Now, the team does not deem him healthy enough to practice. LaFleur is understandably frustrated.
Aaron Banks Has Been a Miss Since Green Bay Packers Signed Him
Banks was a second-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers. While he did not play in his rookie season, he did play 16 games in his second year. In 2023, he missed a couple of games with a toe injury, but still had 14 starts. Banks had a concussion and a knee sprain in the next season, but still only missed four starts.
Still, the 49ers were not quite happy with his progression, and he was set to find a big contract in free agency. They let him go, and Banks signed a four-year, $77M deal in free agency with Green Bay.
He has not quite lived up to those expectations yet. Banks did start in 14 games during his first year in Green Bay. However, ankle, back, and other ailments held him out of a lot of practices and made his integration harder.
It was not a good season for Banks. He left OTAs healthy, and the thought was that he could take a step this year. Now, the head coach is showing frustration with him.
Packers Need a Strong Year From Aaron Banks
The bad news is that Green Bay structured his contract in a way that it would be hard for the team to move on from him in 2027. He has a $25M cap hit coming next year. If the team moves on from him before June 1, they have to eat $26M, so that is not an option.
If they wait until June 1, his hit goes down $9M, but it also pushes $16M into the 2028 season. The cap continues to go up, so it is a smaller percentage in 2028. Still, the team would feel much better about going into 2027 with trust in what he can do.
Right now, they appear to be regretting their decision to pay him. We will see if he can get healthy and live up to this deal this season.
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