Getty Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.
The Green Bay Packers’ bad injury luck seems to have grown even worse ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
According to the team’s injury report, the Packers downgraded second-round rookie right tackle Anthony Belton to a non-participant for Thursday’s second practice ahead of the Cowboys game. He was limited at Wednesday’s practice due to an ankle injury.
Belton’s injury comes at an inopportune time for the Packers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers are unlikely to have starting right tackle Zach Tom available against the Cowboys because of the oblique injury that has hampered him since Week 2. Belton — who played in his place for much of Week 3 — would be the next in line to start at right tackle, but his injury could prevent that.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker and left guard Aaron Banks are also on the injury report with their own problems. Banks has sat out the first two practices with the groin injury that forced him to exit early from Week 3’s loss to the Cleveland Browns, while Walker has been limited with a quadriceps injury.
The Packers will practice once more on Friday before releasing their final injury report, at which point they will make the necessary injury designations for Sunday’s game.
Packers Might Need to Start Darian Kinnard at RT
Belton could still play against the Cowboys on Sunday night. While it is concerning that they downgraded him for Thursday’s practice, they might simply want to limit his reps throughout the week to give him the best chance of playing for them in prime time.
If the worst comes to pass and the Packers are without both Tom and Belton against the Cowboys, though, the team may have no choice but to start backup Darian Kinnard.
The Packers traded a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for Kinnard during the 53-man roster cutdown in August, looking to secure more tackle depth for their roster after a string of injuries left them shorthanded. But while they acquired him for exactly this type of situation, he hasn’t had much time to prove himself just yet.
Kinnard has played just 36 total snaps in his first three games, allowing one pressure on just 14 pass-blocking snaps. He also previously played three games for the Eagles before the trade, starting one full game at right tackle in the 2024 regular-season finale.
Alternatively, the Packers could start former first-round pick Jordan Morgan at right tackle instead if neither Tom nor Belton is available, but they might need him to play left guard in place of Banks — if the injured veteran is also unable to suit up.
Micah Parsons, Devonte Wyatt Both on Injury Report
The only significant change the Packers made to their injury report was downgrading Belton between Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices, but they have more injuries to monitor than the ones currently hobbling a good portion of their offensive line.
The Packers also limited defensive lineman Karl Brooks (foot), safety Javon Bullard (concussion), tight end John FitzPatrick (groin), running back Josh Jacobs (ankle), tight end Tucker Kraft (knee/elbow), defensive end Micah Parsons (back) and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (knee). In Bullard’s case, he upgraded from a non-participant.
Neither Parsons nor Wyatt was on the injury report last week, but the Packers have been managing Parsons’ back since they acquired him in a trade earlier this month. In all likelihood, he will play against his former team for the Packers in prime time.
The Packers (2-1) will kick off against the Cowboys (1-2) at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday.
