Desperate to protect Jordan Love from relentless pressure, Green Bay adds veteran experience to a struggling offensive line, banking on 162 career starts to stabilize their season.
Signing longtime NFL guard Laken Tomlinson doesn't necessarily change the trajectory of the Green Bay Packers season, but it at least proves they're trying to get better.
Through three games, quarterback Jordan Love has been hit far more than he has ever has in this small of a sample size.
It clearly affected his confidence on Thursday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons, but for good reason.
Love doesn't have the necessary time to make a throw past his first read, and head coach Matt LaFleur basically had to abandon the run-game altogether.
Coming off a week where he had to throw the ball 53 times, the Packers have a "mini-bye" before heading to Tampa Bay on Sunday, Oct. 4.
As of Saturday, Sept. 26, the team officially signed Tomlinson off the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.
Keep in mind, Tomlinson was on the practice squad for a reason, but he's a proven starter who at least gives the Packers offensive line a chance to improve.
What to expect from Tomlinson in Green Bay
Tomlinson, 34, has made 162 career starts in the NFL. That type of experience can't be bought, and it's music to Love's ears.
At the end of the day, though, it's only one signing. There could be a case to be made that all five of Love's protectors need to be replaced, but general manager Brian Gutekunst can only do so much in a given week.
It's clear that LaFleur isn't going anywhere, and even at 1-2 with a pair of abysmal losses, this team still has faith they can get back on track.
Tomlinson has been in the league for 11 seasons, so he's been around the block, to say the least. This will be the eighth team he's suiting up for since he was selected No. 28 overall by the Detroit Lions in 2015.
The Duke graduate is a 2021 Pro Bowler who earned First-team All-ACC honors all the way back in 2014, the same year he was named a consensus All-American.
Green Bay has a bit of time to move some pieces around and see where he'll play, if he even earns a starting job by the time Week 4 comes around.
Tomlinson has played almost exclusively at left guard, so while that doesn't mean he'll play there for certain with the Packers, this is a team that has a tendency to move lineman around on a moments notice.
