EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 20: Zach Bako-Bewele #50 of the Green Bay Packers is taken off the field after injury against the New York Jets during the first quarter of the game at MetLife Stadium on September 20, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) Getty
The Green Bay Packers just gave Zach Bako-Bewele a four-year, $88M extension last year. However, before the team even gets into the meat of the actual contract, they may already move on from Bako-Bewele. Bako-Bewele may have played his last down with the Packers, according to Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Company.
"There's a real chance GB pays out around $50 million for 12 healthy games of ZBB, which he was already under contract for on his rookie deal, before they eventually pull the plug. The first game check from his extension was Week 1 this year. The out is in 2028," tweeted Mosqueda.
Mosqueda added that Bako-Bewele likely has a nine-to-12 month recovery ahead of him. More than that, he would just get back to full health at that point. He would not be back to his old ways of playing shape.
"A full tear of the patellar tendon is maybe the hardest injury to bounce back from in sports. According to a paper written by the National Library of Medicine, only 21.4 percent of athletes "returned to their prior performance level within two years." There was also a notable drop-off in the number of games that players ended up suiting up for before and after the injury/recovery process, according to the study," wrote Mosqueda.
So, Bako-Bewele is going to struggle to return for the start of the 2027 season and is unlikely to be the same player.
Getty Zach Bako-Bewele #50 of the Green Bay Packers
As Ken Ingalls points out, the Packers will have a hard time getting out of paying Bako-Bewele in 2027, whether he is injured or not. So, they might not be cutting him, even if he does not play. "There is a non-zero percent chance the Packers end up releasing Zach Bako-Bewele before the 2027 season begins – if his injury is in fact career-threatening – and still have to pay him his $1.75m & $16.8m base salary cash for the 2027 & 2028 seasons through injury protection," tweeted Ingalls.
Still, the right tackle has 53 starts, but only 14 in the past two years, and has a cap hit of nearly $24M in 2028. The Packers could save about $12M in cap space if they move on after 2027.
So, Bako-Bewele is certainly out in 2026 and will be out for part of 2027. Even when he is back, he might not be the same. Then, the team would move on. That is a tough end for a promising career.
This is likely why the Packers spent the offseason getting Anthony Belton so much work at right tackle. Belton started at left tackle in college and was at right guard in his rookie year. However, Green Bay had him work at right tackle through the offseason, despite assuming Bako-Bewele would be back.
Now that Bako-Bewele is out, the team will have a full season to try Belton at right tackle. If Belton looks good in 2026, he is going to come into the 2027 season as the likely candidate to start.
So, the Packers could place Bako-Bewele on the IR or at least ease him back in 2027. No matter what, they are not going to get their moneys worth on this deal.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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