When it comes to identifying and nurturing offensive linemen, the Green Bay Packers are among the top teams in the NFL. Additionally, they frequently select linemen in the latter rounds of the NFL Draft or as undrafted free agents who go on to become long-time starters.
This upcoming season, Green Bay’s offensive line will include Aaron Banks, who was signed as a free agent away from the San Francisco 49ers. This will be a bit of a change for the Packers, who in recent years have typically boasted an line made up entirely of their own draft picks.
Lucas Patrick was signed by Green Bay as an undrafted free agent back in 2016. He ended up spending more time with the team than any player the Packers actually selected that season, with the exception of Dean Lowry and Kenny Clark, despite not being selected in the draft.
As he begins his tenth season in the NFL, he has now committed to play for a new team.
Patrick played for the Chicago Bears for two years after spending five seasons with the Packers. He moved south to New Orleans after that, where he has been playing for the last two seasons.
He is now returning to the north to play for the Cincinnati Bengals, this time in the AFC North:
Cincinnati, of course, has made headlines as of late because of the hundreds of millions of dollars they just threw at their top two wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase, who won the wide receiver Triple Crown in 2024 after leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, is now the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, making north of $40 million a season. Of course, his contract, in addition to those of Higgins and their star quarterback, Joe Burrow, does not leave much room for the Bengals to sign other high-quality free agents.
For years, Cincinnati’s offensive line has been among the worst in the NFL, despite their offensive prowess and arsenal. Although supporters say they will be worried if Patrick is counted upon to star, they still see him as a nice depth addition.
