Packers are in a 'dire' situation heading into Thursday Night Football vs. Falcons originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Green Bay Packers are 1-1 on the season after an overtime win against the New York Jets in Week 2. It's been a shaky start to the season, but they now face the 0-2 Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football in Week 3.
Unfortunately for the Packers, Michael Penix Jr. is back for the Falcons. On the flip side, there is some real trouble brewing for the Packers due to their own string of injury issues.
As Dan Graziano of ESPN put it, things are "dire" for the Packers right now. Zach Bako-Bewele is out due to a season-ending knee injury, and there are a plethora of other injury issues plaguing this Packers roster early in the season.
Packers are in 'dire' situation heading into TNF vs. Falcons
"Things sound dire in Green Bay following the loss of right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele to a season-ending knee injury," Graziano writes. "The Packers' offensive line was already in shambles due to injury."
Things were already questionable up front for the Packers. Now with the Bako-Bewele injury, the Packers will be down their best offensive lineman for the rest of the season.
Unfortunately, that's only scratching the surface of the problems for the Packers entering Week 3's primetime matchup. Jayden Reed suffered a neck injury in Week 2 that threatens his 2026 season.
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There's a real chance he doesn't play again in 2026, which would make the Packers WR room a whole lot shallower after the Dontayvion Wicks trade and Romeo Doubs ' free-agent departure for the New England Patriots .
Bako-Bewele's injury is season-ending, and Reed's might be as well. But, on a shorter-term basis, the Packers will also be without starting offensive guard Aaron Banks in Week 3.
That's two starting offensive linemen out for Week 3, alongside the possible season-ending injury for Reed. That's on top of the Josh Jacobs off-field issues, MarShawn Lloyd 's struggles, and the defensive issues as well.
There are some real issues worth worrying about with this Packers team entering Week 3's Thursday Night Football matchup. The short week certainly isn't helping, as the Packers will have to try to beat the Falcons with some major losses on offense.
