Offensive tackle Yosh Nijman started 13 games for the Green Bay Packers last season. To start this season, he’s backing up Zach Tom after losing the competition at right tackle.
Nijman’s starting spot appeared to be in jeopardy after he struggled toward the end of the 2022 season. During Green Bay’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions, Nijman allowed two sacks and was eventually benched in favor of Tom, who was a rookie at the time.
Heading into the offseason, the Packers still had faith that Nijman would turn his play around, eventually using a second-round restricted tender to keep him in Green Bay for 2023. Throughout the spring and summer, he was given plenty of opportunities to win his job back but was unable to overtake Tom.
When asked about Nijman on Friday, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich gave a pretty dim answer.
“Right now, he’s a backup tackle for us,” Stenavich said Thursday. “That’s where he’s at and football is a very competitive sport and some guys rise to that competition and some guys don’t, so that’s basically what I have to say about that.”
It was an honest response about a player who had shown a ton of potential early in his career. Stenavich was the offensive line coach when Nijman arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and had a hand in him developing into a reliable starter.
Unfortunately, since the end of last season, Nijman has continued to fall down Green Bay’s depth chart.
Tom will start Week 1 against the Bears at right tackle.
“I think, Zach, right from the start was determined to grab hold of that position,” Stenavich said. “It’s a testament to him and his mindset.”
Nijman was the starting left tackle in place of David Bakhtiari for the first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. However, by the second game, former seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker had replaced Nijman in the “starting” lineup.
What the future looks like for Nijman and the Packers is unclear. He was once considered a viable trade candidate, but after Stenavich’s latest comments, it’s tough to say if any tackle-needy teams would have any interest. At this point, Green Bay may just want to hold on to him in case of emergency.