The Green Bay Packers generally don’t make a ton of splash moves when NFL free agency rolls around.
Well, for a team that traditionally builds their roster organically through the NFL Draft, one NFL Insider believes the Packers just landed the top guard on the market on Monday.
Packers Are Expected to Sign G Aaron Banks
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport had strong words when reporting the Packers splash move in free agency when signing former San Francisco 49ers G Aaron Banks on Monday afternoon.
Rapoport said on X, “The top guard is off the market: Sources say #49ers G Aaron Banks is expected to sign with the #Packers, as QB Jordan Love gets another bodyguard.”
Green Bay bringing Banks into the fold alongside Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, and Elgton Jenkins allows the Packers to continue to fortify the unit in front of QB Jordan Love with a veteran lineman entering the prime years of his career.
Rapoport added some additional context to his original post on X by saying, “Full terms: It’s a four-year, $77M deal with a whopping $63M in the first 3 years in a deal done by Kyle McCarthy and Brian Murphy of Athletes First.”
According to Spotrac.com, the Packers entered the 2025 NFL offseason with just over $40 millon available under the salary cap. Splurging on an interior offensive lineman will certainly eat into that amount considerably, but should help address a position of need entering the 2025 NFL Draft — where they currently possess the No. 23 overall pick in the first round.
Banks was a consistent performer along the 49ers offensive line unit that helped produce one of the most efficient offensive seasons on record back in 2023.
The Current State of the Supporting Cast Around QB Jordan Love
The Green Bay offense was still a productive unit last season even in the midst of an injury plagued season for Love under center.
Green Bay finished 8th in scoring offense at 26.1 points per game. Additonally, the Packers ranked seventh in the league in total offense at 366.7 yards per game.
Despite Love’s regression last year, the offensive line managed to anchor a strong running game, which led to running back Josh Jacobs rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground in his first season with Green Bay.
Love appeared in 15 of 17 games last season, but was sacked 16 fewer times in 2024 (14 sacks) than his first year as the starting quarterback back in 2023 (30 sacks).
One of the biggest reasons for optimism for the Packers offense in 2025 is the expected consistency of the supporting cast around Love continuing to develop alongside their young signal caller.
Players like Jayden Reed, Tucker Kraft, Romeo Doubs, and Dontavyion Wicks could all see an expanded role in the passing game to complement an effective ground game led by Jacobs.
One of the biggest unknowns on the offensive side of the ball entering the 2025 NFL season will be the status of WR Christian Watson, who is recovering from a torn ACL and could miss some (potentially all) of the upcoming campaign.
Watson is an excellent vertical threat, but has been unable to avoid injuries throughout the first three years of his NFL career.
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