Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Zach Tom has yet to earn Pro-Bowl or All-Pro honors, but he is easily the most important piece of an offensive line that has stepped back in meaningful ways this season from the few years prior.
Tom finished as the No. 2 right tackle in the NFL this season, per Pro Football Focus, but his status for Saturday night’s Wild Card Round showdown with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field is up in the air due to knee and back injuries.
Tom was a limited participant in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday before sitting out entirely on Thursday due to a “rest day.”
“LaFleur said they’re giving Zach Tom a rest day today,” Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported.
Packers Offensive Line Fell 13 Spots Year-Over-Year
GettyOffensive tackle Zach Tom of the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers finished second in the NFC North Division last season, just as they did in 2025, and entered the playoffs as a Wild Card team/No. 7 seed each time.
How Green Bay got to essentially the same spot in each of the past two years has differed meaningfully, with one of the primary discrepancies existing along the offensive line.
The Packers had the No. 6 unit heading into a road playoff game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles last January. Tom was even better during that season than he was this year, which was more impacted by health concerns.
“The most important development for the Packers’ offensive line in 2024 was learning that Rasheed Walker’s 2023 season was not a fluke and they can count on him at left tackle. Walker’s 79.6 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 15th among left tackles this season,” Zoltán Buday of PFF wrote exactly one year ago on January 8, 2025. “Tom earned an 87.6 PFF overall grade this season, leading all right tackles.”
Tom put up an overall grade of 83.5 this year, but also missed five games due to injury. He started all 17 contests for Green Bay in 2024.
“The Packers’ offensive line struggled in pass protection this season,” Buday wrote Wednesday after ranking the group 19th in the league. “The unit gave up 173 pressures, including 15 sacks, on 561 pass plays. That fueled an 83.2 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked only 26th in the NFL in 2025.”
Green Bay’s most suspect starter on the line was left guard Aaron Banks, after the Packers spent $77 million on a four-year deal to acquire him following his first four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Bears’ Pass Rush Among Worst in NFL Heading Into Playoffs
GettyChicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker sacks Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
The silver lining for the Packers is that the Bears’ pass rush is exceedingly weak.
Chicago mustered just 35 sacks as a team this season, tying three other teams for 26th in league. Two of those franchises, the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs, weren’t close to making the postseason. The other, the New England Patriots, is the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
Tom missed the final three games of this regular season, most recently playing against the Denver Broncos on December 14.
Also questionable for the Packers’ opening playoff contest are defensive lineman Warren Brinson (foot), safety Javon Bullard (knee), linebacker Nick Niemann (pectoral), wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) and quarterback Malik Willis (right shoulder/hamstring).
