Jordan Morgan's Butter Is Being Scraped Over Too Much Bread

Myles Garrett and the Cleveland Browns defense are a force to be reckoned with, but few expected them to manhandle the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line as badly as they did on Sunday.

The offensive line played an abysmal game in every aspect. The Packers couldn't create holes in the run game. They couldn't protect Jordan Love, who tied his career high by taking five sacks, and they couldn't get out of their own way and stop committing penalties.

Green Bay's offense never got into any semblance of rhythm, and the collective offensive line is the biggest culprit.

It didn't help that the Packers played Zach Tom, who had been dealing with an oblique injury, only to lose him on the first offensive snap of the game. In response, the Packers threw in Jordan Morgan, who likely didn't practice much at right tackle this week. Later, Morgan played left guard to handle the spot in relief of Aaron Banks.

There was no continuity for the line, and Morgan struggled as a result, earning the team's second-lowest PFF grade (40.7). Against the Washington Commanders in Week 2, Morgan played at left guard and was the offense's lowest graded player (41).

It's a concerning trend for the promising former first-round pick, but it's not entirely his fault. Morgan has been transient in his NFL career, never finding a spot to truly develop. While his ability to be the OL6 and play at four of the five spots is a boon, the Packers are asking too much from him. Morgan is being spread too thin, and Green Bay must adapt or risk hampering Morgan's development.

Since joining the Packers last spring, Morgan has never been able to focus on a single position. While Morgan played left tackle at Arizona, he has the build of a classic Green Bay tackle-to-guard convert. The Packers may have said they view Morgan as a tackle first, but need forced him into a competition with Sean Rhyan at right guard. He was in a rotational battle, even into the regular season, until injuries cut his rookie season short.

In mandatory minicamp and OTAs, Morgan saw more time at guard, with Rhyan playing more center in relief of Elgton Jenkins. When Jenkins returned, Rasheed Walker missed time, allowing Morgan to play his preferred position of left tackle.

That was probably the longest stretch of continuity Morgan had, and he looked like a promising starter throughout the preseason. If the Packers gave the starting left tackle job to Morgan over Walker, few would have batted an eye. But the Packers liked that Morgan can play guard and likely wanted him as the top backup for multiple positions.

Green Bay's plan had merit, but with offensive linemen dropping like flies, Morgan has had too much on his plate. It hasn't been merely a matter of This player is injured, this is now Morgan's spot until they are better. Morgan has had to switch positions weekly and sometimes even play multiple positions in the same game.

Morgan started in a rotation with Rhyan at right guard before injuries saw him play significant time at left guard and right tackle over the following weeks. Including preseason, Morgan has already taken snaps at four different positions this season.

Swapping sides is often a challenge for any player. Continuity is the key to offensive line success. Morgan hasn't gotten a chance to get comfortable at any one spot, and the offensive line is worse for it.

The Packers didn't expect Tom to last only one snap on Sunday, but there was always a solid chance Tom wouldn't play in the first place. Anthony Belton got the start at right tackle in Week 2, and he likely saw most of the starting snaps there in practice this week. Morgan is the more polished player at this point and the team's top swing tackle. Still, it was surprising to see Morgan, who likely didn't practice much at right tackle this week, get the nod over Belton.

At the very least, the Packers should keep Belton as the primary right tackle backup. Morgan is already juggling three positions and hasn't played right tackle. Worse, Morgan had to move to left guard midgame, creating a difficult adjustment. Allowing Belton to immediately start at right tackle and reserving Morgan for another spot may not have solved the line's woes against Cleveland, but it would have been a better process.

Matt LaFleur admitted on Monday that the team is asking too much of Morgan.

"I don't think that's easy on anybody, especially a guy who's still a relatively young player," LaFleur

Morgan should be a starter in 2026. Walker and Rhyan are in the final year of their contracts, and their spots are the two with which Morgan has the most experience. If the Packers want Morgan to be a successful starter, they need to start being proactive with him rather than reactive. Have an idea of where they want Morgan to be in the future, and provide him with the experience he needs so he can thrive.

Left tackle is Morgan's favorite spot and the one where he feels the most confident. But the Packers clearly expected him to play a good amount of guard this season, especially given how much time Aaron Banks has missed. Focusing Morgan on one set of positions (tackle vs. guard) or even just one side (left vs. right) might make the difference, allowing Green Bay to use Morgan as a versatile piece without overwhelming him.

The great Bilbo Baggins once compared himself to too little butter being scraped over too much bread. The Packers are treating Morgan like a spot of dairy spread over too much toast this year. The offensive line's performance against Cleveland might just be a fluke, but it still highlighted a serious problem with the utilization of their 2024 first-round pick.