Mekhi Becton Signs With Packers Practice Squad: What It Means
The Green Bay Packers have officially signed veteran offensive lineman Mekhi Becton Sr. to their practice squad. That is the confirmed transaction,not an active roster promotion,and it gives Green Bay an experienced guard tackle option while its offensive line absorbs another major injury. Becton cannot play in a game unless the Packers elevate him from the practice squad or sign him to the 53 man roster.
The move is meaningful because Becton has 59 NFL starts, a Super Bowl ring and recent experience at both guard and tackle. It is not an instant fix. Green Bay must first determine whether the 27 year old is ready to handle its terminology and techniques, then decide whether his current form is better than the options already dressing on game day.
What the Packers officially announced
Green Bay’s roster announcement says Becton joined the practice squad on September 28. The same transaction package moved veteran guard Laken Tomlinson from Dallas’ practice squad to Green Bay’s active roster, placed right tackle Zach Bako Bewele on injured reserve and released defensive tackle Eric Johnson II from the practice squad.
The distinction between Becton and Tomlinson matters. Tomlinson is immediately on the 53 man roster. Becton is an evaluation and development option for now. The Packers can expose him to their system without promising him a Sunday role, while preserving the option to elevate or promote him if he earns it.
The timing follows Green Bay’s 35 to 14 home loss to Atlanta. The final score did not create the need by itself, but it sharpened the urgency around an offense that must protect Jordan Love, stabilize its run game and replace Bako Bewele’s availability.
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Becton’s experience is the reason this move is worth watching
The official Packers bio lists Becton at 6 foot 7 and 357 pounds. The Jets selected him 11th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he has appeared in 61 regular season games with 59 starts. Green Bay also notes five postseason starts. Those are not theoretical development snaps; they are evidence that Becton has handled full time NFL assignments when healthy.
Verified measure | Becton’s record | Why it matters |
Listed size | 6 foot 7, 357 pounds | Rare mass and length for guard or tackle work |
Regular season experience | 61 games, 59 starts | Extensive starting exposure across three teams |
Postseason experience | 5 starts | Has played in high leverage games |
Draft pedigree | No. 11 overall in 2020 | Premium tools have always been part of the evaluation |
2026 Packers status | Practice squad, No. 70 | Experienced depth; no game day role guaranteed |
Table source: the Packers’ official September 28 roster announcement. The measurements and experience totals describe Becton’s career entering Week 4; they do not establish his current depth chart position.
His best recent evidence came in Philadelphia. Becton moved inside to right guard during the Eagles’ Super Bowl season, and Green Bay’s announcement notes that the 2024 line helped Saquon Barkley set career highs with 345 carries, 2,005 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. That résumé explains why the Packers are testing whether a change of setting and role can unlock another useful stretch.
Reuters reported that Becton played 15 games and started 14 for the Chargers in 2025 before Los Angeles released him in March 2026. The independent report also emphasized his experience at left tackle and right guard. Versatility is especially valuable for a Packers line now dealing with a long term absence at right tackle.
Kevin Zeitler changes Green Bay’s immediate plan
A new veteran addition now changes the immediate depth picture. Reuters reported on September 30 that Green Bay is signing Kevin Zeitler to a one year contract. Zeitler is 36, has appeared in 214 NFL games and started 16 games for Tennessee in 2025. He joins Laken Tomlinson and Becton as the third former first round lineman added by the Packers in recent days. That makes Zeitler the most direct candidate for immediate guard work while Becton remains a practice squad evaluation.
The urgency is measurable. Reuters cited ESPN data showing Green Bay at an NFL low 48.7 rushing yards per game, with 146 total rushing yards through three games. That is the franchise’s lowest three game opening total since at least 1993. The comparison period is the first three games of the 2026 season, not a full season projection. Zeitler’s reported agreement does not guarantee a starting assignment, but it gives the Packers a second active roster caliber veteran to test while Becton learns the system.
The broader context appears in Football Nation’s Jordan Love ranking analysis, the earlier Green Bay protection problem review, and the Kaleb Johnson trade and run game analysis. Together, those pieces show why Green Bay is adding experienced linemen instead of waiting for the current group to stabilize on its own.
The strongest counterpoint: this is still a practice squad bet
Becton’s name and draft history can make the signing sound larger than it is. The Packers did not immediately place him on the active roster, and Tomlinson,not Becton,received the 53 man spot in Monday’s moves. That is the clearest signal of Green Bay’s present hierarchy. Becton must prove he is physically ready, assignment sound and capable of improving the unit before his experience translates into game snaps.
There is also no guarantee that his best 2024 Philadelphia form returns. One strong season at guard and a long list of starts are useful evidence, but they do not erase the injuries, uneven stretches or the fact that he was available after the Chargers moved on. The responsible reading is upside with a real floor, not a rescue plan.
Green Bay’s recent line volatility was already visible in its overtime win over the Jets and became more urgent after Bako Bewele’s injury. The Packers are adding options because continuity is difficult right now, not because one practice squad move guarantees an immediate solution.
What changes for Jordan Love, the run game and fantasy football
Becton has no standalone fantasy value, but his development can matter indirectly. If he earns a promotion and stabilizes a guard or tackle spot, the beneficiaries would be Love’s protection and Green Bay’s rushing efficiency. Until he is elevated, however, fantasy managers should not treat this transaction as a reason to upgrade any Packers player. It is depth insurance first.
The Week 4 checkpoint is preparation for Tampa Bay. Coaches will see how quickly Becton absorbs protections, combinations and communication rules. The team’s first practice updates and any game day elevation will reveal more than the signing announcement. If he remains on the practice squad, Tomlinson and the current active linemen remain the immediate answers.
Football Nation’s Falcons Packers preview outlined the protection and run game questions that preceded the Week 3 loss. The Week 2 Packers Jets preview supplies the earlier baseline for how Green Bay was trying to manage injuries and line stress.
The next factual checkpoint
Watch for three concrete developments: Becton’s first full week of practice, the position at which Green Bay trains him, and an official elevation or 53 man promotion. Those steps will answer whether the signing is simple insurance or the beginning of a real competition for snaps. A jersey number and a practice squad contract do not settle that question.
Football Nation verdict
This is a sensible, low commitment move for a 1 to 2 team with an urgent offensive line problem. Becton’s 59 starts and successful 2024 guard season give Green Bay a higher upside reserve than a typical late September addition. The Packers should still be judged on what comes next: whether they can get him assignment ready, whether his movement holds up and whether he earns an active role. For now, the move improves Green Bay’s options,not yet its starting lineup.
Sources
Green Bay Packers official roster announcement; Reuters independent report. Facts checked September 29, 2026, at 8:15 a.m. Central. Update checked September 30, 2026, at 10:18 a.m. Central.
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