Green Bay Packers 2021 Season Review: Interior Offensive Line
By Paul Bretl
As we look back at the Green Bay Packers 2021 season, up next in our position by position review is the interior offensive line.
There was a lot of youth and inexperience among the two guard and center positions this season, but overall, the group held up well in the midst of injuries and movement along the entire offensive line—with some help from Aaron Rodgers and the offensive game plan, of course.
If you’ve missed any of my position reviews, you can catch up below.
Green Bay Packers Guard/Center: Lucas Patrick
Lucas Patrick won the left guard job out of training camp, but after sustaining a concussion Week 1, he would miss Week 2, and ultimately lose his starting job to Jon Runyan. However, after Josh Myers missed Week 5 and then sustained a knee injury in Week 6 against Chicago, Patrick took over at center for much of the remainder of the season.
Patrick can take his lumps, but overall he provided much-needed stability to this offensive line over the last two seasons. Patrick finished the regular season at center having allowed no sacks and only 14 pressures. He was also ESPN’s third highest-rated run-blocking center.
Once Myers returned Week 18, Patrick slid over to right guard, where he started for Green Bay in 2020. He would allow four pressures and two sacks against Detroit and San Francisco.
Patrick is now a free agent, and I certainly do see the value in bringing him back. He has plenty of experience with nearly 2,700 career snaps, can play any of the interior positions, and is a reliable presence to have, even if off the bench. With that said, given the Packers cap situation along with the interior offensive line being a position that Green Bay has addressed heavily in the draft in recent years, they do have several younger and cheaper options to replace him if needed.