Paul Bretl | 7/21/2025
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Prior to the first training camp practice, the Packers have reportedly agreed to an extension with right tackle Zach Tom.
Tom, who was entering the final year of his rookie deal, is signing a four-year extension worth $88 million, according to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. Included is a $30.2 million signing bonus. Demovsky adds that the signing bonus figure is believed to be the largest signing bonus ever of an offensive lineman.
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A year ago at this time, Tom was sidelined as he recovered from a pectoral injury. However, that ended up being just a footnote on his 2024 season, as Tom returned to the practice field before training camp ended last summer and ended up playing 1,134 total offensive snaps.
“Credit to the training staff, strength staff, everybody,” said Tom of his recovery last season. “And credit to me, not to toot my own horn.”
Tom later added, “Honestly, once I came back, I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but you’re just playing football. You’re trying to, at least. I try not to think about injuries because everybody’s going through something.”
With Tom navigating the pec injury for much of the offseason and then experiencing an expedited ramp-up period in order to be ready for Week 1, he did notice at times last year where his “technique might have suffered” as he worked his pec injury back to full strength.
However, even so, Tom continued to play like one of the better right tackles in the NFL. He would finish the 2024 season ranked 18th among all offensive tackles in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric, which measures how often a lineman is able to hold their block for 2.5 seconds or longer.
In the run game, Tom had the third-highest run-blocking grade of any offensive tackle in football, according to PFF.
Like any competitor, he wants to be viewed as one of the best at his position, and this recent payday will certainly help with that. But more important than what the outside voices are saying, Tom is focused on winning games and what those inside the Packers’ building have to say.
“Absolutely,” said Tom about wanting to be viewed as a top right tackle. “It’s not like I set a goal to be the 10th-best tackle in the league. Obviously, I want to be the best. Absolutely, it’s nice to get recognition out there But, at this position, you’re not always going to get recognized.
“So I don’t really take what people on the outside are saying too seriously. I’m more so worried about what people on the inside are saying. But I just wanna win at this point.”
Now with a full offseason behind him, Tom is well past the pec injury, and he was able to participate in the on-field portion of offseason programs, which was something he was unable to do last year.
“I think the biggest thing is just confidence with an injury like that,” Tom said. “And I think that’s the thing I’ve been working on this year, even in the weight room, just pushing weight with it.”
Given Tom’s level of play, an extension always seems to be a matter of when and not if. But even as these conversations unfolded behind the scenes between the Packers and Tom’s agent, Tom’s focus has continued to be on being more consistent in his fourth NFL season as he strives to be the best at his position.
“I would just say consistency,” Tom said about what the next step for him is. “Being a guy that can set the tone during games, being a guy that you can really rely on to block those edge rushers – those elite edge rushers – one-on-one, take them out of the game. But, yeah, that’s the next step for me, for sure. Just being a guy that you know is going to get it done out there.”