Despite a reputation for staying quiet in free agency, the Green Bay Packers had an unexpectedly active first day on the market.
While teams across the league quickly reached reported deals with outside free agents, the first—and for a while, only—news out of Green Bay was that they wouldn’t be retaining starting center Josh Myers.
Myers, an unrestricted free agent, has started 56 games for the Packers since being drafted in the second round in 2021. He was a serviceable player early in his career but regressed into their weakest starting lineman in 2024.
As of the start of Day 2, he remains unsigned, and it will be interesting to see what kind of market develops for him.
As Monday progressed and top free agents flew off the board, Green Bay made a move few saw coming: signing Aaron Banks.
Banks, like Myers, was a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, selected 14 picks ahead of him. He also brings extensive experience, having started 43 games for the San Francisco 49ers during that span.
Let’s dive into the good, the bad, and the ugly of this signing.
Packers Sign Aaron Banks: The Ugly
Let’s get the negatives out of the way first.
The biggest concern is what this means for 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan. By letting Myers walk and bringing in Banks, the Packers appear set to roll with a starting offensive line of Rasheed Walker, Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, and Zach Tom from left to right.
Given his draft pedigree, Morgan will likely get a chance to compete at left tackle or right guard. However, as things stand, he looks poised to ride the bench for a second straight year—a tough pill to swallow for a franchise that has had its fair share of first-round struggles over the past half-decade. For a team looking to build through the draft, having a top pick stuck on the sidelines isn’t an ideal scenario.
The Bad
Despite only playing four years in the NFL, Banks will turn 28 before the start of the 2025 regular season. That’s out of the norm for Gutekunst, who typically targets younger players in free agency with their best football still ahead of them.
There is some concern that Banks' 2024 campaign was the worst of his professional career. However, PFF actually graded it as his best, giving him a 65.4 overall grade. Still, that doesn't exactly inspire confidence, and it only ranked 74th among 135 qualified offensive guards.
The silver lining is that the Packers’ pro scouts have a strong track record. They consistently identify players who can make an impact, whether in free agency or even on the practice squad. They’ve earned the benefit of the doubt over the collective skepticism of internet scouts.
Still, there are some red flags. Even the metrics that show he's improving still indicate he’s a below-average starting guard in the NFL.
Injuries are another concern. His 2024 NFL season ended early due to an MCL injury. However, his medicals must've checked out, as the Packers are known to be conservative with injuries.
Green Bay handed him a four-year deal worth $77 million. As always, we’ll have to wait for the full contract details, as initial figures are often inflated by agents looking to boost their clients' market value.
Typically, the Packers structure contracts with minimal guaranteed money for non-quarterbacks, allowing them to take a pay-as-you-go approach.
Even so, $77 million is a hefty price tag for a player who, at this point, appears to be an average-at-best starting left guard in the NFL.
The Good
We started from the bottom, and now we're here.
In the Wild Card round of the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Packers learned firsthand how one injury to their interior offensive line could dismantle their entire unit. They vowed not to let that happen again.
Banks gives Green Bay a hefty interior, with Jenkins likely sliding over to center and Sean Rhyan locking down right guard. They’ll also have depth, with Morgan lurking in the shadows, eager for his chance to get on the field.
Banks also brings the boom. At 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, he’s now the heaviest offensive lineman on the roster.
That’s great news, considering the Packers are fully transitioning to a power-running game. Josh Jacobs proved he thrives between the tackles, and Green Bay just added another mammoth to clear the way for him.
The Packers also need to keep the pocket clean for Jordan Love. Love struggled with his footwork last year, often fading away on throws when he felt pressure up the middle. Banks is primarily a run-blocking guard, but he holds his own in pass protection and isn’t easily moved due to his size.
Ultimately, it would’ve been nice for the Packers to add a pass rusher with this money—Josh Sweat received a nearly identical deal from the Arizona Cardinals.
However, contrary to the Chicago Bears’ belief, the Super Bowl isn’t won in the offseason. Patience is a virtue as we wait to see how the rest of the roster takes shape. This is a good start, and we'll see what's next.
