GREEN BAY, Wis. - Help isn't on the way for the Green Bay Packers . It's already here.
The veteran offensive line trio of Kevin Zeitler , Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton were on the practice field and going through drills at practice on Wednesday, their first of the week before facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
While the Packers will work quickly to integrate their new blockers, they must overcome a major loss to the offense.
One of the team's most important and most beloved players, receiver Jayden Reed, will have season-ending surgery following the neck injury sustained at the Jets in Week 2.
"Unfortunately, he let me know yesterday," coach Matt LaFleur said.
If there's an upside, the surgery will end Reed's season but not his career.
"From my understanding, no, but he will be out a significant amount of time," LaFleur said.
Reed is the team's premier slot receiver. He is practically irreplaceable from a player-for-player perspective, though he we hit on some options before Thursday's loss to the Falcons.
Reed, a second-round pick in 2023, led the team in receptions and receiving yards during each of his first two seasons but missed most of last season after suffering a broken collarbone. During his first three seasons, he led the NFL in passer rating when targeted.
In 2024, Reed finished eighth among receivers with 7.1 yards after the catch per catch. More than just a slot threat, though, he also was first with an 80.0 percent catch rate on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield.
"That's tough," LaFleur said. "He brings so much in versatility and how we use him and just all the different roles. I would say it's going to be by committee. There's a lot of things that the other guys can do, as well. We're integrating Skyy Moore into some of that stuff, Bo Melton , J-Mike ( J. Michael Sturdivant ) - all those guys are going to have to share the load.
The Packers signed him to a contract extension during this year's draft.
The Packers over the past handful of days signed guards Laken Tomlinson, Kevin Zeitler and Mekhi Becton. Combined, they've started 434 games. The stating guards against Atlanta , Jacob Monk and Jager Burton, entered the game with three starts.
"I think it just calms down the O-line," coach Matt LaFleur said. "When you have veterans in there who have been through the war, certainly we've got young guys playing beside them, that can definitely settle things down. We're just trying to get these guys integrated, get them up to speed, ramp them up and see what they can do."
During the media portion of practice, Tomlinson worked at left guard and Zeitler and Becton were on the right side. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich spent individual drills alongside Zeitler. They talked frequently after his reps.
Zeitler has made 213 starts in his career. He started 16 games last year with the Titans, with Pro Football Focus charging him with four sacks and 16 pressures. The player he will be replacing in the starting lineup, Monk, allowed one sack and 11 pressures in the first three games.
"I think everything that you're looking for," LaFleur said of what Zeitler will bring to the line. "He's stout. He can anchor in pass pro. He's really effective in the run game, whether it's zone scheme, gap scheme, he's done it all. So, there's nothing he hasn't seen or done. We've just got to get him ramped up."
And that's the million-dollar question. Zeitler wasn't in a training camp. While he's been working out to get ready for an opportunity, he's not in football shape. So, he'll have to learn the plays and get into playing shape on an accelerated schedule.
Asked point blank if Zeitler is the team's starting right guard, LaFleur said: "Well, we've got to get him into practice. Certainly, there's going to be a ramp-up period for him. As soon as he feels good and ready to go, he'll be in there."
With Tomlinson and Zeitler being established starters and on the 53-man roster, they presumably will get the first crack at starting. What does that mean for Becton, who's only on the practice squad? LaFleur said "the whole thing is pretty fluid" in terms of Becton getting work at right tackle.
The influx of the veteran talent on the offensive line speaks to how the Packers overestimated the ability of their young players - Burton, Monk and Donovan Jennings - to play through growing pains and perform to a winning level.
"The way teams practice in the league, it's a lot different than the game," LaFleur said. "When you get into game action, I think that's when you get a real evaluation of everybody. By no means are we dismissing these guys that have played for us. I think they're young players. They've got a long road ahead of them, but we've got to get improvement, as well. So, I think it was a necessary step that we had to take."
Meanwhile, along with Reed, four other players did not practice: guards Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk - the projected starting duo coming out of training camp - and defensive tackles Karl Brooks and Anthony Campbell.
Defensive tackle Warren Brinson , who missed the first three games with a calf injury, practiced for the first time since before the second preseason game at Denver .
Finally, the Packers added undrafted rookie defensive tackle David Blay to the practice squad. That move has not been announced but he was wearing No. 61 at practice.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi as Packers Wednesday Update From Practice: Three Key Additions, One Huge Loss .
