“They’ve been in the playoffs every year, and it’s a young team, and guys are only getting better,” Aaron Banks expressed when he signed with the Packers. “As the younger guys on this team start to become older guys and then we start to bring everybody along, I just think we’re really close. I think we have all the tools and all the pieces to get there, and not only get there but win it.” It was the kind of quote that plays well at the podium. Hopeful and forward-looking. But it also raised expectations. The Packers didn’t bring him in to talk about winning; they paid him $77 million to protect Jordan Love. Matt LaFleur also signed off on that move. And now, just one week into camp, the cracks are already showing.
Love was pressured on 35.6% of dropbacks last season, eighth-highest among qualified starters. He turned that pressure into big plays sometimes, but the hits added up. You want to protect your investment? Give him stability on the interior. That’s what Banks was supposed to be. Instead, what the Packers got Tuesday was doubt. Not ideal. Not for a team trying to move from good to great. And definitely not for a quarterback finally stepping into his own.
Jordan Love’s trajectory depends on more than his arm; it depends on trust. Aaron Banks, the former 49er, was meant to be that guy. The left guard with playoff pedigree and 1,600-plus career snaps of starting experience. But on July 25, ESPN‘s Rob Demovsky reported that Banks pulled himself out of practice midway through the nearly two-hour session. No trainers. No limp. Just out. He stayed on the field with a helmet on, watching but not playing.
“Left guard Aaron Banks, who signed a four-year, $77 million contract in the offseason, did not finish the practice. He appeared to drop out halfway through the one-hour, 54-minute session. He remained on the field with a helmet on but did not return. Travis Glover, a sixth-round pick in 2024, filled in after Banks dropped out.”
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That move didn’t go unnoticed. It didn’t sit well with veterans. And it didn’t feel like the guy Green Bay backed the Brinks truck up for. In his place? Travis Glover, a sixth-round pick in 2024 from Georgia State who was probably prepping for second-team reps and suddenly found himself protecting the franchise QB. Let’s be clear. Glover’s a grinder. 59 college starts. Tough and coachable. But he’s not ready to be Jordan Love’s lifeline against NFC pressure.
Banks isn’t some aging vet on his last legs. He’s 27. Entering his prime. A player who allowed only 4 sacks across two seasons in San Francisco and earned a 68.6 pass-blocking grade in 2023, per PFF. That’s the profile of a stabilizer. A wall. The guy who never needs an explanation. So when that guy decides, mid-practice, that he’s done for the day without a clear injury? Coaches notice. Players notice. Jordan Love notices. But it also sounds an alarm about the coach’s recent decision.
Is Jordan Love’s protector unhappy with Matt LaFleur?
Matt LaFleur didn’t exactly want to overhaul his offensive core. He was forced into it. Aaron Rodgers left, the identity of the Packers shifted, and LaFleur suddenly found himself in a position no offensive-minded head coach loves: accountable for everything. So what did he do? He doubled down on physicality, identity, and trench toughness. And that move?
A $77 million bet on Aaron Banks. On paper, it’s a simple roster shuffle. In reality, it’s a full-scale philosophical gamble. LaFleur moved Elgton Jenkins, arguably his steadiest pass protector, to center full-time. But that’s only possible if Banks can lock down the left guard spot. The problem is, Banks hasn’t been that guy. Not consistently. Not even close.
Jenkins was elite in 2024; he gave up just one sack all season and posted an 83.1 PFF pass-blocking grade, third-best among all guards. That’s Pro Bowl stuff. And the Packers willingly moved that production away from the edge to accommodate Banks, a guy PFF ranked 77th among guards last season. Sure, Banks allowed just one sack, too, but she also failed at times.
He gave up 25 total pressures over 775 pass-blocking snaps, drew five penalties, and played through a nagging turf toe followed by an MCL sprain that knocked him out for four games. Moreover, his lateral movement was visibly hampered during a few games. Green Bay’s protection just got riskier. And Jordan Love? He’s already under pressure. With this shuffle, it may get worse.
So, why do it? Banks, all 6’5”, 325 lbs of him, is supposed to be the road grader. A bruiser. And to be fair, there’s upside. Additionally, his 68.9 run-blocking grade in 2024 was solid. He helped the 49ers average over 141 rushing yards per game. But this isn’t San Francisco. He’s not surrounded by Trent Williams and Kyle Juszczyk anymore. He is the guy now. And LaFleur’s entire offensive line puzzle depends on him not crumbling.
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