The Green Bay Packers are caught in an offensive line mess of their own making, and two-time Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins is right in the middle of the pile-up.
Offensive linemen don’t grow on trees. The position’s one of the hardest to play in the NFL, and with so few reliable starters out there, even average players cash in like lottery winners. That’s part of what landed Green Bay in this awkward spot.
This offseason, the Packers backed up the Brinks truck for Aaron Banks, handing him $77 million over four years. Banks is... fine. Solid-ish. He ranked 33rd out of 77 qualifying guards last season, according to PFF. But Green Bay paid him more than Jenkins, who’s been their rock at left guard for years.
The plan is to slide Jenkins to center and let Banks start at left guard. It's an understandable strategy from a team-building perspective, as Jenkins is versatile enough to handle the transition successfully.
Elgton Jenkins Could Be a Trade Candidate
However, Jenkins is scheduled to count $17.6 million against the cap in 2025. That’s fair for a top-tier guard. But as a center, that's top of the food chain—by more than $3 million.
And here’s where things really start to get spicy: Jenkins isn’t happy. He skipped mandatory minicamp, and rumor has it he’s threatening to sit out training camp unless Green Bay sweetens the pot. From his point of view, why should he get paid like a center when he’s capable of playing guard—or even tackle—at a Pro Bowl level?
Meanwhile, the Packers are staring down the barrel of some tough choices. They’ve got an offensive line room loaded with talent. But they’ve also got three starters due for new contracts next year. They can’t pay everyone. That’s exactly why they’ve spent early draft picks on linemen two years in a row.
When it comes to Jenkins, the Packers probably don’t want to cut ties this summer. But the numbers tell a different story. If they released him before the season, they’d eat $9.6 million in dead cap—but save $8 million. Post-2025, it gets even more tempting: just $4.8 million in dead cap and a whopping $20 million in savings.
Jenkins knows this. He sees the writing on the wall. And that’s why he’s pushing for a new deal now—trying to lock something in before he ends up as next year’s cap casualty.
But here’s the danger: if Jenkins plays his cards wrong, the Packers could flip the table. If they decide the contract standoff isn’t worth the drama, they could show him the door before training camp even starts.
At the end of the day, Jenkins is still one of Green Bay’s best linemen. But in the NFL, being good doesn’t always guarantee job security—especially when your price tag makes the front office sweat.