GREEN BAY, Wis. — Uprooting Anthony Belton from the right guard spot that he had begun to call home for the latter half of the 2025 season and moving him to right tackle this past summer was purely a contingency plan.
Now it’s the plan.
The Green Bay Packers are turning to Belton, a second-round pick last spring, for the remainder of the season following the devastating loss of Zach Bako-Bewele. 71 snaps into his return from the partially torn patellar tendon he sustained in his right knee back in December, Bako-Bewele suffered a complete tear in Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets.
The injury occurred on the third snap from scrimmage, and just moments later, Bako-Bewele would be carted off the field at MetLife Stadium. He’ll undergo surgery on Thursday and face a recovery that could span anywhere between eight and 10 months.
The Packers spent much of training camp easing Bako-Bewele back into action, but they were cognizant of a scenario where he wouldn’t be ready to play by the Sept. 13 opener versus the Minnesota Vikings. That’s why they were so persistent on repping Belton at right tackle—if Bako-Bewele couldn’t play, they’d be ready.
