Green Bay Packers right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele will miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in Sunday’s overtime win over the New York Jets.
Bako-Bewele said Tuesday that the knee injury will require surgery Thursday, according to NFL.com’s league roundup. The diagnosis confirms the worst direction of the Packers’ earlier postgame concern and leaves Green Bay without its starting right tackle for the remainder of the year.
What changed in the Bako-Bewele injury story?
The initial focus after Sunday’s game was on the alarming sequence in which wide receiver Jayden Reed and Bako-Bewele were carted off on consecutive plays. Green Bay knew Bako-Bewele’s knee injury was potentially significant, but there was no confirmed diagnosis immediately after the game.
FSN’s original report documented the back-to-back injuries and Bako-Bewele leaving with his leg stabilized. The new information is definitive: the tackle has a torn patellar tendon, is scheduled for surgery and will not return this season.
That moves Green Bay from planning around a possible extended absence to solving a season-long problem at right tackle.
The injury is especially difficult after Bako-Bewele’s offseason recovery
Bako-Bewele entered 2026 after spending much of the offseason recovering from surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon. He worked back into football activity, was limited ahead of the opener and returned to the starting lineup before suffering the new injury in Week 2.
The Packers had already been managing his workload and knee status early in the season. That context makes another patellar-tendon injury particularly significant, both for Green Bay’s 2026 line and for the longer rehabilitation that will follow surgery.
Anthony Belton becomes the immediate answer at right tackle
Anthony Belton replaced Bako-Bewele after the injury against the Jets and is now positioned to take on a much larger role. Green Bay may also need to adjust protection plans depending on how quickly Belton settles into an every-down assignment.
The issue is not isolated to one spot. The Packers also lost left guard Aaron Banks to a toe injury against New York, while Donovan Jennings later exited with a hand injury. That forced Green Bay deep into its reserve offensive-line group during the same game.
FSN had already been tracking the line’s health before Week 2. Green Bay entered the Jets matchup with several players carrying injury designations, and the situation became substantially more serious once Bako-Bewele went down.
Why the loss matters for the Packers offense
Losing a starting tackle affects more than one matchup on the edge. It can change how often Green Bay uses tight ends or backs in protection, where the quarterback sets in the pocket and how aggressively the offense calls longer-developing concepts.
A stable offensive line also depends heavily on communication. A permanent change at right tackle means Green Bay must rebuild some of that continuity while still preparing each week for different pass-rush fronts.
Green Bay now has a roster decision to make
The season-ending diagnosis could push the Packers toward an injured-reserve transaction and additional depth work. Whether the club promotes from within, signs a veteran or continues with its current line group, the Bako-Bewele injury removes the possibility of a quick return solving the problem.
For a team with playoff expectations, the challenge is now straightforward but significant: stabilize right tackle without the player Green Bay expected to hold that job for the season.