Rasheed Walker confirms he’ll start at left tackle vs. Lions in Week 1

The Green Bay Packers hadn’t named a starting left tackle for Week 1 against the Lions—until Rasheed Walker made it official himself.

“Yes,” Walker responded when The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman asked him if he was starting at left tackle on Sunday.

“I feel like it’s my job,” he continued. “I’m going to go out there and handle my business and then put my team in the best position to win. I’m going to do my part.”

The Packers have a winning record (21–14) with Walker as their starting left tackle over the past two seasons, including playoffs. However, Green Bay leans on competition to pick its best five offensive linemen, and wasn’t about to hand Walker the starting job in 2025—especially after dedicating a first-round pick on tackle prospect Jordan Morgan last April.

Walker entered training camp as the leading candidate, but when he suffered a groin injury that sidelined him for two weeks, Morgan was able to make some headway. In the preseason opener against the Jets, Morgan held New York’s pass rushers to zero pressure in 23 pass-blocking snaps. The following week, he had another sublime performance in pass protection, not surrendering a single pressure against the Indianapolis Colts in 15 pass-blocking snaps.

Walker returned for the team’s final preseason game and did not allow any pressures, while Morgan started at left guard in place of Aaron Banks.

Walker and Morgan appeared to be neck and neck. When asked last week who would be the opening day starter, Matt Lafleur was non-committal, simply stating, “We’ll see.” At some point, Walker was told it would be him.

Who starts at left tackle could be subject to change week-to-week or even drive-to-drive. Morgan began his rookie season rotating drives with Sean Rhyan and was showing improvement before re-aggravating a shoulder injury and landing on injured reserve.

It’s also possible that Walker may start the year at left tackle, but the team could turn to Morgan down the road if Walker struggles. Walker is in the final year of his rookie deal and could be in line for a massive pay day if he plays well this season. Meanwhile, the Packers likely view Morgan as the left tackle of the future and would prefer to get him as many reps as possible before he takes over full-time.

Starting center Elgton Jenkins did not participate in Monday’s practice due to an undisclosed injury. Jenkins had been dealing with a back injury he suffered during the offseason. As the sixth offensive lineman on the depth chart, Morgan will be the first man up if someone gets injured. Should Jenkins not be able to suit up against the Lions on Sunday, Rhyan would slide over to center and Morgan would fill in at right guard.

The Packers will release their first injury report on Wednesday, which could give more clarity on how the offensive line could shape up against Detroit.

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Rasheed Walker confirms he’ll start at left tackle vs. Lions in Week 1