Packers' Zach Bako-Bewele expects to miss rest of the season after tearing his patellar tendon

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Zach Bako-Bewele has a torn patellar tendon and expects to miss the rest of the season.

Bako-Bewele, who changed his name from Zach Tom before the season, hurt his right knee in the first quarter of the Packers’ 20-17 overtime road victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. The 27-year-old right tackle said he is planning to undergo surgery Thursday and that he believes the recovery should take about nine months.

“It’s definitely not what I anticipated happening, but you’ve just got to get back to work and then start thinking about next year,” Bako-Bewele said Tuesday.

Packers receiver Jayden Reed and Bako-Bewele were carted off the field after consecutive plays during Green Bay’s opening series. Reed remained in a New Jersey hospital overnight for observation rather than traveling back home with the team after suffering what the Packers described as a neck injury.

Bako-Bewele was blocking David Bailey during a third down incompletion when the injury occurred. Bako-Bewele said he wasn’t sure exactly what caused the injury, but he knew right away that something was wrong.

“I mean, I don’t think the turf helped,” Bako-Bewele said. “Yeah, I don’t know. Just something that happened, so I’ve just got to move forward.”

Bako-Bewele had partially torn his patellar tendon in the same knee during a Dec. 14 loss at Denver and missed the rest of the 2025 season. The injury occurred during the same game in which Packers All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons tore his anterior cruciate ligament.

Bako-Bewele said this latest injury is a complete tear.

“We see him working, grinding in here long hours just for the chance to come back to play with us, and to go down like that, that’s terrible,” center Sean Rhyan said.

When he’s healthy, Bako-Bewele perhaps is the Packers’ best offensive lineman. The 2022 fourth-round pick from Wake Forest has made 53 starts, including 48 over the past four seasons.

Anthony Belton took over for Bako-Bewele at right tackle during the Jets game and was penalized for holding on two separate occasions. The 2025 second-round pick from NC State started six games at right guard and one at right tackle during his rookie year, but he primarily worked at tackle during training camp this year.

Bako-Bewele might not be the only starting offensive lineman missing when the Packers face the Atlanta Falcons in their home opener Thursday night. Left guard Aaron Banks, who missed the Packers’ season-opening loss at Minnesota because of a knee issue, started Sunday’s game but left in the first half with a toe injury.

Green Bay (1-1) has allowed seven sacks over its first two games. The Packers also rank last in the NFL in yards rushing per game (64.5) and 29th in yards per carry (3.3).

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