Aaron Banks Should No Longer Be In Green Bay’s “Best Five” Lineup

Green Bay Packers Aaron Banks Should No Longer Be In Green Bay’s “Best Five” Lineup Photo Credit: Mark Hoffman via Imagn Images By Felipe Reis - November 11, 2026 The Green Bay Packers spend an entire week evaluating their offensive line in practice, only to reach Sunday and somehow conclude that Aaron Banks is one of their five best options. However, the reality is that he hasn’t played well enough to justify that spot. Banks looks like he doesn't even want to be out there. That or still playing hurt. Body language says a lot STOP putting him out there. My god pic.twitter.com/dwO9JSufNi — Alexander Basara (@Basaraski) November 9, 2026 The 2021 second-round pick allowed four pressures against the New England Patriots on Sunday: two hurries, one QB hit, and one sack on Jordan Love . Moreover, he dealt with a groin injury that forced him in and out of the lineup. However, Matt LaFleur clarified after the game that he decided to bring Kevin Zeitler in for Banks for a second time. “We thought [Zeitler] did a good job,” LaFleur noted . “We’ll evaluate that moving forward.” The Packers already have a large enough sample size to evaluate Banks and recognize that he shouldn’t be among their five best offensive linemen. He’s appeared in just three games this season. Against the New York Jets, he played only 22 offensive snaps before leaving with a toe injury . One of the most valuable abilities a football player can have is availability. But even when Banks has been healthy enough to take the field, which has been rare this season, he hasn’t performed well. Tough, tough rep for Aaron Banks. Between the footwork and the pad level, you just can't lose your rep like this. pic.twitter.com/m88jLNgjBs — Kalani Jones (@kjones_in_co) November 5, 2026 Over his last two games, he’s allowed eight total pressures, including six hurries. The tape makes his performance look even worse when you consider that the Packers committed $77 million to bring him to Green Bay a year ago. When Banks returned, the Packers moved Laken Tomlinson to right guard, a position he hadn’t played since the Obama administration, rather than keeping Zeitler at right guard and Tomlinson at his natural left guard spot. Tomlinson had been playing decently well and had performed considerably better than Banks ever had in Green Bay. Moving him out of position to accommodate Banks never made much sense in the first place. Even Zeitler, who spent the summer sitting on his couch before signing with Green Bay just a month before making his Packers debut, has looked considerably better than Banks. Zeitler played 20 snaps against New England on Sunday, including just four in pass protection, and didn’t allow a single pressure. Banks, meanwhile, allowed seven combined pressures, hurries, and QB hits. That’s one allowed every 4.6 pass-blocking snaps. It also wasn’t a coincidence that Green Bay managed to break off an explosive run with Banks off the field. At this point, the difference between the two is getting harder to ignore. Kaleb Johnson with arguably the best run and blocking of the year for the #Packers ! pic.twitter.com/PsAfN175Tc — Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) November 9, 2026 If the Packers keep starting Banks, it will feel like they’re trying to justify the $77 million investment rather than making the decision that’s best for the team. They can’t trust him to stay healthy, and his performances when he’s available haven’t given them much reason to trust him on the field either. At some point, Green Bay needs to stop worrying about what it invested in Aaron Banks and make the best decision for its offensive line. That means taking him out of the starting lineup. Felipe Reis Felipe Reis covers the Green Bay Packers for Zone Coverage and CheeseheadTV. He has a Journalism degree from Estácio in Brazil and shares his Packers analysis on Twitter at @Aceti_Felipe. He lives in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. All Articles