The Green Bay Packers could be spending a little bit of time without first-round rookie offensive lineman Jordan Morgan available for their interior rotation.
Morgan — the No. 25 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft — suffered a shoulder injury in the first half of the Packers’ home opener against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2. The team’s official X account initially announced that Morgan was questionable to return but issued an update just five minutes later downgrading him to out.
Morgan missed the entire 2024 preseason with a shoulder injury, but the Packers left him off the injury report for Week 1’s opener against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil. It is currently unclear whether Morgan reaggravated his previously injured shoulder or suffered a new injury during the first half of Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Colts.
Morgan rotated with starter Sean Rhyan at right guard throughout the first half against the Colts, out-snapping Rhyan 16-12 heading into halftime. The first-round rookie had also played 28 snaps in the Packers’ 34-29 loss to the Eagles in Week 1, allowing just one quarterback hit on 19 passing downs and displaying solid run-blocking skills.
The Packers will need to formulate a backup plan for the interior of their offensive line if Morgan misses time with his shoulder injury. He is listed as the backup at both left and right guard on the team’s depth chart. Fifth-round rookie Jacob Monk, the team’s backup center, is the only other non-starter listed as a guard on the active roster.
Packers’ Offensive Line Helped Seize Win Over Colts
Even with Morgan’s injury disrupting the rotation at right guard, the Packers’ offensive line shined in Sunday afternoon’s victory over the Colts, particularly in the run game.
The Packers ran the ball 53 times against the Colts, averaging 4.9 yards per carry while using six different ball carriers multiple times in the game. Josh Jacobs finished as the workhorse with 32 carries for 151 yards, but rookie MarShawn Lloyd (six carries for 15 yards) and Emanuel Wilson (five carries for 9 yards) also received steady opportunities.
Packers wide receivers Jayden Reed and Bo Melton also added chunk plays in the run game with Reed tallying gains of 15 and 22 yards on runs out of the backfield.
“Fifty-three rushes, that’s what we wanted to do coming into this game,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in Sunday’s postgame. “It’s one thing to want to do that, but to be able to go out there and execute that, I think that says a lot about all 11 out there, starting with the offensive line, but our backs were running hard, our receivers were blocking their butts off like they always do.”
Could Packers Move Zach Tom Inside to Help Depth?
The Packers will now await a diagnosis on Morgan’s shoulder. With luck, they may not need to do more than exercise caution with him in the week of practice leading up to their matchup with the Tennessee Titans in Week 3. If Morgan must miss time for them while he recovers, though, the Packers could resort to drastic measures to cover his loss.
Drastic measures, as in moving starting right tackle Zach Tom inside to play guard.
Tom — a 2022 fourth-round pick — has made starts at guard in the past for the Packers, and while they would likely prefer to keep him at right tackle, they have more depth at the tackle position than inside at guard. Moving Tom would only become necessary if the Packers needed a replacement for either left guard Elgton Jenkins or Rhyan at one of the two guard spots. In such a scenario, though, Tom might be the best contingency.
The Packers also have more depth at the tackle position to help cover for Tom if they moved him inside in an emergency. Kadeem Telfort served as a backup tackle for the team in Week 2’s win over the Colts, but they can also choose to call upon veteran Andre Dillard (a healthy scratch in Week 2) if they feel they need a shake-up.
