The Green Bay Packers made a rather odd decision with their offensive line entering the 2025 campaign. Moving former left tackle Elgton Jenkins to center was unorthodox, and perhaps they would've been better off going for a center instead of signing Aaron Banks.
Unsurprisingly, the results weren't good. Jenkins struggled to make the same impact in his new position, as the Packers failed to establish the run and were getting manhandled in the interior of the offensive line. It wasn't entirely on him, but he didn't do much to help. Now, his days with the organization might be numbered.
Elgton Jenkins Needs to Restructure His Contract to Stay in Green Bay
The Packers gave Jenkins a four-year contract extension worth $68 million in 2022. He made $11.7 million this season and is slated to make $18.5 million next year, and given the way he played before suffering a season-ending fibula injury, it won't make much sense to keep him around.
Cutting him before June 1, 2026, would give the Packers a cap hit of just $4.8 million, so they would free roughly $20 million in cap space. That's why restructuring his contract will most likely be the only way he stays in Wisconsin.
Before his injury, Jenkins logged a Pro Football Focus grade of 62, which ranked 22nd among 37 eligible centers. Unsurprisingly, as a former blindside protector, his pass block grade was excellent (72.5, the fifth-highest), but his run block grade left plenty to be desired (60.6, 28th). The Packers can do better here, and if they want to keep Jenkins or he wants to stay, it should only happen under the team's terms.
As things stand now, Jenkins would be the highest-paid center in the league next season, passing Kansas City Chiefs' star Creed Humphrey ($18 million). It would also be just under the $21 million Philadelphia Eagles' guard Landon Dickerson is making. That's top-notch money for a player who isn't providing top-notch production.
Granted, the offensive tackle market is entirely different, and he was playing left tackle when he got that contract, so it's easy to understand why things were a little blown up. GM Brian Gutekunst now has the perfect opportunity to right his wrong. It's not that Jenkins can't play or that they definitely shouldn't bring him back, but they need to either move him back to his usual position and/or lower his cap hit by converting some of his salary to a signing bonus.