Packers Training Camp Turns Into Battle for Starting Left Guard

Green Bay entered its 2026 training camp with several starting positions unsettled. Veteran guard Aaron Banks, who signed a four-year, $77 million contract in March 2025, has missed the first three weeks due to a lingering knee injury. His absence opened a competition among young offensive linemen—primarily rookie Jager Burton, along with Jacob Monk and Anthony Belton—for the left-guard spot that Banks previously held.

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• Aaron Banks — veteran left guard, fourth-highest-paid Packers player, sidelined with a knee injury.

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• Jager Burton — fifth-round rookie, filling in at left guard during camp and the preseason opener.

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• Jacob Monk — fellow young lineman contributing to the competition.

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• Matt LaFleur — Packers head coach, fielding questions about the guard battle and Banks’ health.

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Head coach Matt LaFleur said the competition remains open, noting Burton’s strong showing: “I think [Burton’s] gonna make it extremely difficult.” When pressed about a possible procedure between offseason workouts and camp, LaFleur declined to comment directly, stating, “I’ll let him answer that,” deferring the health discussion to Banks himself.

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• In the preseason loss to Pittsburgh (28-9), Pro Football Focus gave Burton an offensive grade of 51.3, the third-lowest among participants, though he allowed only two pressures on 36 snaps.

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• Cornerback Keisean Nixon, another veteran facing a similar challenge, posted a 43.8 PFF grade, while teammates Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste earned grades of 69.9 and 69.8 respectively.

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• “I think [Burton’s] gonna make it extremely difficult,” — Matt LaFleur, packers head coach

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