Faced with an existential threat to their season, the Green Bay Packers have signed 34-year-old veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. The move comes as general manager Brian Gutekunst seeks to stabilize a beleaguered offensive line that has struggled heavily in both pass protection and run blocking through the first three weeks of the NFL season.
With the offensive line rapidly deteriorating into an existential threat to their season, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has opted against waiting for internal improvement. In a decisive roster maneuver, the Packers are signing veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad, a source confirmed to PackersNews. Entering his age-34 season, Tomlinson brings a wealth of professional experience, having started 162 games over the course of his illustrious 11-year NFL career.
Tomlinson's journey to Green Bay follows a productive yet turbulent recent stretch. A former first-round draft pick in 2015, Tomlinson most recently suited up for the Houston Texans during the 2025 campaign, where he made seven starts. Reports indicate that he gutted through a nagging ankle injury last season before ultimately losing his starting assignment when the Texans underwent a major offensive line reshuffling late in the year. Prior to his tenure in Houston, Tomlinson earned Pro Bowl honors during his five-year run with the San Francisco 49ers.
During his time in the Bay Area, Tomlinson played under head coach Kyle Shanahan, an architectural foundation that should significantly accelerate his assimilation into Packers coach Matt LaFleur's similar offensive scheme during this unexpected midseason transition. While it remains to be seen precisely how much production Tomlinson can deliver at this advanced stage of his career, his acquisition directly targets the single most glaring vulnerability on the Packers' current roster at the left guard position.
The necessity for immediate external reinforcement stems from an offensive line that has been thoroughly inept through the opening three games of the schedule. Franchise quarterback Jordan Love has absorbed an astounding 34 hits this season alone, a staggering metric that included 12 punishing hits during the Packers' dismal 35-14 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons on September 24. Concurrently, the rushing attack has cratered; Green Bay ranked dead last in the NFL in rushing yards entering Week 3 and cemented that lowly standing by mustering a mere 17 yards on the ground against Atlanta.
With an offensive unit incapable of executing basic pass protection or run blocking, head coach Matt LaFleur has frequently appeared devoid of answers in his capacity as play caller. The offensive struggles have manifested most glaringly in short-yardage situations, with the Packers failing twice to convert on fourth-and-1 attempts this season. A Week 1 quarterback sneak by Love was summarily stonewalled in Minnesota, while the subsequent matchup against Atlanta saw the coaching staff attempt an ill-fated pass on fourth-and-1 inside the 10-yard line, only for unblocked pressure to detonate the play.
Furthermore, the offense has remained consistently behind schedule due to its failure to execute on early downs, which continually forces the unit into arduous third-down predicaments. Green Bay currently ranks 30th across the league, successfully converting a meager 27.78 percent of their third-down opportunities. Incapable of maintaining sustained drives, the team sits 31st in the NFL with a 24:56 average time of possession, forcing an overworked defense to remain on the field for the vast majority of the first three games.
The current crisis in the trenches was catalyzed by a combination of lingering injuries and disappointing performances. Gutekunst previously attempted to shore up the interior by signing veteran Aaron Banks as a free agent prior to last season, but persistent health setbacks and subpar play have derailed Banks's trajectory as a reliable starter. Banks has been unable to maintain consistent availability since training camp opened due to persistent knee tendinitis, limiting him to a single start this season - which came during the Packers' lone victory against the New York Jets in Week 2.
In the wake of Banks's absence, rookie fifth-round draft pick Jager Burton was thrust into the starting lineup against the Atlanta Falcons, where he experienced profound growing pains against a formidable defensive front. The stark drop-off in performance underscored the urgent requirement for a seasoned presence who can anchor the interior line, communicate effectively in high-pressure environments, and restore a baseline of stability to an offense desperately searching for an identity.
As Tomlinson transitions from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad to the active environment in Green Bay, the coaching staff will race against the clock to integrate him into the weekly game plan. Whether the veteran lineman can single-handedly reverse the fortunes of a floundering ground game and protect their franchise signal-caller remains one of the most compelling storylines in the NFC as the autumn schedule intensifies.
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