The Green Bay Packers are marching toward the 2025 season, but they’ve taken a turbulent route to get there.
The drama began during Super Bowl weekend when Josh Jacobs demanded a No. 1 receiver and trade winds started to swirl around Jaire Alexander. Drama around the incumbent receivers intensified when the Packers took two in last month’s draft and Jayden Reed sat down with Packers brass to gain assurance that he’s Jordan Love’s top target.
Long story short? Things haven’t been as quiet in Titletown as some would suggest. But the drama continued to grow as the team reported for offseason team activities without one of their key players this week.
Elgton Jenkins Wants a New Contract to Move to Center
According to ESPN Wisconsin’s Jason Wilde, offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins would like some financial motivation to move from left guard to center this season. Jenkins has two years remaining on the four-year, $68 million contract extension he signed in 2022, but he has no guaranteed money remaining on the deal.
“On the one hand, the Packers have been reluctant to pay players who have reached their 30th birthday a third contract, and with a high salary-cap number for 2026, he could be a candidate for being released if his move to center isn’t a smooth one,” Wilde said. “At the same time, Gutekunst praised Jenkins earlier this offseason and said that the team believes he has ‘a chance to be an All-Pro center.’”
Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Monday that Jenkins is “open to it” and “excited about” a move to center, but Jenkins is smart to use the position switch as leverage for a new deal. He'll turn 30 in December and this could be one of his last opportunities to get a big-money deal in the NFL.
As Wilde mentioned, he also knows that he could be a cap casualty if the move to center doesn’t work out. Jenkins has a $17.6 million cap hit for this season, but that number grows to $24.8 million next year. While a successful move to center would cost the Packers a few bucks, they could save $20 million by releasing Jenkins next offseason if it doesn’t work out.
Keeping that flexibility may be key for the Packers, who made a four-year, $77 million commitment for new left guard Aaron Banks this offseason. With Jenkins upside at center, the move could pay off on the field. But the Packers may have to pay up in order for that to happen.