The Packers agreed to a deal with former 49ers left guard Aaron Banks on Monday, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. The news was first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who said the deal is for four years and $77 million with $63 million in the first three years.
Banks slots in at No. 70 on The Athletic’s Top 150 free agents list, on which he was the ninth-best guard available.
How he fits
Banks started 43 games for the 49ers the last three seasons and played exclusively at left guard, according to Pro Football Focus. A 2021 second-round pick out of Notre Dame, Banks is a good gap blocker whom the 49ers followed on many goal-line runs in 2022 and 2023 but had a somewhat underwhelming 2024 season, according to The Athletic’s 49ers writer Matt Barrows. Banks is listed at 6 feet, 5 inches and 325 pounds, so the Packers should be able to use that frame well in power runs ahead of running back Josh Jacobs.
2025 impact
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Banks agreeing to terms with the Packers is what the deal means for the rest of the offensive line. Elgton Jenkins is a two-time Pro Bowler at left guard and a former Pro Bowl starter at the position. He’s 29 years old and has two years left on his contract, so he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Jenkins can play anywhere on the offensive line but started at center the one game Josh Myers missed last season. If the Packers envision keeping Banks at left guard, the logical move would be sliding Jenkins to center if Myers signs elsewhere in free agency.
If Rasheed Walker stays at left tackle and Zach Tom remains at right tackle, which general manager Brian Gutekunst said will probably happen with Tom, that leaves one starting spot open. Sean Rhyan and Jordan Morgan alternated at right guard last season until Morgan’s season-ending shoulder surgery. The Packers might want to find Morgan, a 2024 first-round pick, a permanent starting role. He also was a college left tackle, while Rhyan has experience playing center for the Packers.
In short, the Packers like having options and versatility on the offensive line to get their best five in the starting lineup. The signing of Banks ensures there will be shuffling to take advantage of that versatility in the coming months.
NFL free-agency tracker: See where Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers and the top 150 players land
Cap update
We’ll need to wait for the full terms of the deal to come out instead of just the four years for $77 million, but that $19.25 million average annual salary would make Banks the third-highest-paid left guard in the league behind the Eagles’ Landon Dickerson and the Colts’ Quenton Nelson, according to Over The Cap. Gutekunst said in January that the Packers were in their best cap situation in two or three years, so the Banks deal shouldn’t prevent them from another big splash or two.
Outlook
If you look at the Packers’ sacks allowed numbers last season, you wouldn’t think they need offensive line help. Green Bay ranked third in the NFL in sack percentage allowed (4.4 percent of dropbacks), according to TruMedia. But quarterback Jordan Love escaped a fair number of sacks on his own, and the Eagles dismantled Green Bay’s offensive line in the wild-card round. That might be, in part, the inspiration for this move, even if Gutekunst doesn’t want to let one game and one opponent dictate big moves. It is the one opponent everyone is chasing, however, and a more sturdy offensive line could allow the Packers to utilize more long-developing play-action passes.
(Photo: Darren Yamashita / Imagn Images)
