It's no secret that Aaron Banks has had his issues since joining the Green Bay Packers. Despite an up-and-down offseason, though, he seems to be locked into a starting role on the team's offensive line, even if fans may not want to hear it.
Prior to last week, Banks hadn't played a single snap in training camp as he recovered from a tendonitis issue in his knee.
This past week, he finally returned and seemed to find himself in competition. For his first few days back, Banks was splitting time with rookie Jager Burton on the line. However, that changed over the last few days, with Banks now taking the majority of reps with the team's starters. It seems clear that the veteran is locked in at right guard.
The Packers seem to have ended the right guard uncertainty with Aaron Banks
During the Packers' joint practice with the Arizona Cardinals, Banks was once again lined up with the starters.
The issue with Banks essentially getting his job back right away, though, is that it seemed to go against everything the Packers were saying. Last week, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich gave a blunt response about Banks' status.
"At some point, we're going to need him to go out there and put it all together for a string of time. Otherwise, you won't know if you can rely on him as the season goes. That's going to be a big thing for him over these next two weeks," Stenavich said, via Jason B. Hirsschorn of The Leap.
Similarly, Matt LaFleur suggested that the play of Burton and Jacob Monk had made it "extremely difficult" for Banks to take his job back right away. However, it seems like that's more or less exactly what happened. While one could argue that Banks didn't do anything to lose his job, his play last year didn't exactly warrant him being named the de facto starter.
Ultimately, Banks' situation is a tricky one. It's not his fault he was injured at the start of training camp. On the flip side, though, with Burton playing well enough with the offense as is, many fans have been clamoring for the team to just start the rookie, let him take some lumps early, and develop as a result.
While Banks looks to be the starter heading into Week 1, there is some silver lining for fans who might want to see other players. Unlike last year, when the Packers were left scrambling for depth when Banks got hurt, the team has more options now. Whether it's Burton or Monk, the Packers know they can plug-and-play others at guard in a way they couldn't last year.
For now, though, the decision seems to be that Banks will start.
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