Packers Sign Three Veteran Linemen to Rescue Jordan Love and the Offense
Green Bay added Tomlinson, Zeitler and Becton after Love's 52.4% completion rate and a 242-17 rushing gap on Thursday. Here's the fantasy fallout.
Patched-up line should lift him, but give it a week to gel.
- Love at 52.4% completions, second-worst in NFL
- Pressured 59 times, second-most in the league
- Packers outrushed 242-17 in Week 3 loss
- GB run rate just 26.7%, lowest in NFL
- Signed Tomlinson, Zeitler (Pro Bowlers) and Becton
The boos at Lambeau on Thursday night told the story before the stat sheet confirmed it. In a 35-14 loss to the Falcons that dropped Green Bay to 1-2, Jordan Love's line caved so badly the Packers were outrushed 242 to 17 — the third-worst margin for the franchise since 1980. GM Brian Gutekunst responded by raiding the veteran bargain bin, signing 11-year Pro Bowl guard Laken Tomlinson (162 career starts) and former first-rounder Mekhi Becton on Monday, then adding 36-year-old Pro Bowl right guard Kevin Zeitler on Wednesday.
The problem isn't Love — it's everyone in front of him. He's completing just 52.4% of his passes, second-worst in the NFL, despite throwing multiple touchdowns in all three games. The reason is simple: he's been pressured 59 times, second only to Bryce Young, and his 28% off-target rate under pressure leads the league. Green Bay's third-down conversion rate sits at an NFL-low 27.8%.
How It Fell Apart
Right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele tore his patellar tendon in Week 2, left guard Aaron Banks has been banged up, and the young replacements simply aren't ready. Jordan Morgan is learning left tackle, and the interior of Donovan Jennings, Jacob Monk and Anthony Belton has been overwhelmed. Only center Sean Rhyan has held up. For a unit that fueled the league's 10th-highest-scoring offense (24.2 PPG) from 2023 to 2025, the collapse is stunning — Green Bay became just the second post-merger team to rank last in both completion percentage and rushing yards through three weeks.
The good news is these vets won't need a crash course. Tomlinson played under LaFleur's brother Mike and former Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett with the Jets, and Becton was there too. Zeitler, entering his 15th season, has seen every playbook imaginable. Even a patchwork five should give Love cleaner pockets quickly.
The Fantasy Angle
This matters most for Love's pass-catchers. Christian Watson (our rank #133, WR45) already sits fifth in the league in receiving yards (284) and third in receiving TDs (3) despite the chaos. Matthew Golden is coming off a 100-yard, 1-TD breakout in Week 3, and Tucker Kraft keeps getting healthier off last year's ACL injury. More time to throw turns Love — our rank #31, QB14 — from a sell candidate back into a streamer, though his last five games (2025 trend: -2.5 fantasy pts vs average) scream patience.
Bottom line: hold Love and don't overreact. A rebuilt line should stabilize his floor, but new blockers need a week or two to gel, so he's not a confident start until we see it click. Watson is the real beneficiary — if you can buy him cheap while the offense looks broken, do it. With Josh Jacobs sidelined, MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson get a modest bump too, but they're bye-week dart throws, not trusted starts yet.
