8 Packers Whose Time in Green Bay Should End After Playoff Loss
The Green Bay Packers' Divisional Round loss may have been the final game in the green and gold for these players.
4. Jon Runyan Jr. / 5. Royce Newman
Saying goodbye to Bakhtiari isn't the only change that could happen to the Packers' offensive line this offseason. Guards Jon Runyan Jr. and Royce Newman are both on the potential chopping block considering their 2023 play.
Runyan's play continued to slip this season, as he was flagged for six penalties (tied for No. 10 at his position) and gave up two sacks. That led to a disappointing 54.7 overall grade from ProFootballFocus, his third straight campaign on the decline in that category.
The uninspiring play from Runyan allowed backup Sean Rhyan to make his case as the future starting guard. The latter cut into the vet's playing time significantly to end the year, with Rhyan playing in 48% or more of the offensive snaps in each of the last four regular-season contests -- three of which were wins.
Now Runyan is set to hit free agency, where he could draw interest around the league as an experienced starter. With Rhyan on board and only heading into his third season, though, Green Bay has an obvious replacement already on board (and on a cheaper deal, at that).
Meanwhile, Newman has fallen out of favor as his Packers tenure has gone on. He went from a 16-game starter in 2021 to seeing just five starts total over the past two years.
His demotion to reserve hasn't gone especially well, especially in 2023, where he earned an awful 44.3 overall PFF grade. That's not passable by any means, even for a depth piece, so Green Bay would be wise to move on this spring.