GREEN BAY – Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur admitted for the first time that rookie Jager Burton could be in the starting lineup in the season opener.
It would be a major leap of faith given the Packers signed veteran Aaron Banks to a four-year, $77 million contract last year to be their starting left guard, but LaFleur appeared frustrated with the Banks’ on-again, off-again presence in training camp due to a knee issue.
Banks has had to take days off to rest his knee and still hasn’t taken part in any 11-on-11 drills, leaving the door open for Burton, a fifth-round draft pick, to lock down the starting left guard job.
“I think he’s going to make it extremely difficult,” LaFleur said, when asked if Burton was going to make it tough to stick with Banks. “I think Jager has done a really good job. I think, not only him, but [Jacob] Monk.
“So, you know, he [Banks] hasn’t been out there, so it’s hard to say.”
Banks suffered through groin and back injuries last year and did not play to the level the Packers hoped, but he had time to heal in the offseason and declared himself healthy during offseason workouts.
However, Banks started training camp on the physically-unable-to-perform list with a left knee injury. He was activated the next day but has been able to practice only on certain days and never in anything more than individual work.
Asked if Banks had undergone a procedure on his knee between offseason workouts and training camp, LaFleur said Banks would have to answer that.
Burton hurt his right hamstring on the first day of camp and missed the next two days. He was limited in the two practice after that but has been full-go since. As soon as he was able to take part in team drills, Burton was moved from a swing guard to left guard exclusively.
He played 36 snaps in the Packers’ 28-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Aug. 13.
Monk took over the right guard spot from 2025 starter Anthony Belton, who is now working at right tackle. Belton has struggled to reach the level he was at a year ago and Monk’s consistency and play style has been something the coaches have praised him for.
If the season started tomorrow, Jordan Morgan would be the left tackle, Burton the left guard, Sean Rhyan the center, Monk the right guard and Zach Bako-Bewele the right tackle. Bako-Bewele did not play against Pittsburgh, but he started taking part in full team drills last week and appears close to returning to full-time work after rehabbing a partially torn patellar tendon suffered last year.
This article originally appeared on Packers News: Rookie Jager Burton pushing for Packers starting left guard job