Injuries and a high price tag signal the likely departure of Elgton Jenkins from Green Bay. The Packers look forward to significant cap savings.
It's an open secret that the Green Bay Packers are going to cut two-time Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins this offseason.
The Packers haven't said anything on the matter, of course, but word around the NFL is that this decision is going to happen sooner rather than later.
"Jenkins is widely expected to be released before the start of the league-year," Bill Huber of OnSI recently wrote.
It makes sense, too.
Jenkins was a gem of a pick by general manager Brian Gutekunst in 2019. The Packers selected Jenkins out of Mississippi State with pick No. 44 overall and he immediately made an impact.
He came in for an injured Lane Taylor at left guard in a Week 3 game against the Denver Broncos and finished that season on the PFWA All-Rookie team after not giving up a single sack. He was a full-time starter by the end of that season
Jenkins has played guard, tackle and center for the Packers. In the winter of 2022, the Pack gave him a four-year, $68 million contract extension.
And therein lies the issue for both Jenkins and the Packers now. He's coming off the second major injury of his career, and the plan to move him to center did not work out. The Packers were, without a doubt, better with Sean Rhyan at center than Jenkins.
His level in play has dropped. He's coming off an injury, and he's set to make a base salary of $18.5 million this season while carrying a dead cap hit of $24.3. Not only that, but he's got a $1 million per-game roster bonus as well as a $500,000 roster bonus.
As a center, he's making an absurd amount of money.
“Those numbers are extremely high for a guard – fourth-highest cap hit on the team, in fact – and unheard of for a center,” Matt Okada of NFL.com recently wrote of Jenkins. “Realistically, it would be shocking if Green Bay, which is slightly over the cap currently, kept Jenkins on the payroll, at least without some sort of significant restructuring.”
Here's the rub for the Pack. That base salary is not guaranteed, and neither are the bonuses, of course. Green Bay could also save over $19.5 million on the salary cap by cutting Jenkins.
Oct 19, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) and center Elgton Jenkins (74) react against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.The Packers are strapped for cash, and they may have found their next Pro Bowl guard in Anthony Belton. Aaron Banks was a big free agent signing at guard last season, and he's under contract through 2028. As far as center is concerned, the Packers could re-sign Ryhan (an impending free agent) or look for a cheap option in the NFL Draft.
However you slice it, Elgton Jenkins’ time with the Packers is quickly coming to an end.
The new league year starts on March 11 at 4:00 PM ET. Expect Jenkins' fate with the Packers to be sealed before then.
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