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Packers GM Brian Gutekunst confirms that Elgton Jenkins will move to center

Posted on March 31, 2025 - 2:54 pm by

The widely-expected position switch is now confirmed.

 

When the Green Bay Packers signed guard Aaron Banks early in the 2025 free agency period, that move signaled that a position change was coming for one of the established players on the Packers’ offensive line. Banks has exclusively played guard in his NFL career, specifically left guard — a position primarily manned by Elgton Jenkins since his rookie year in 2019.

With starting center Josh Myers signing with the New York Jets a few days later, it became clear that Banks would slot in at one of the Packers’ starting guard spots. Jenkins, meanwhile, was the logical choice to move from guard to center instead of Sean Rhyan, particularly given Jenkins’ experience in college as a two-year starter at center.

On Monday during the NFL’s annual meeting, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed that the team’s plan is indeed to move Jenkins into the middle:

Jenkins has started at four different positions across the line for the Packers: left guard, center, and both tackle positions. He served as the team’s fill-in center in 2024 as well, starting one game when Myers was out with an injury.

However, Jenkins signed a new contract extension late in the 2022 season, keeping him off the free agent market after a few stints at tackle stemming from David Bakhtiari’s injury. That deal reportedly included incentives tied to him earning All-Pro honors while playing left tackle. That incentive has been more or less off the table since Rasheed Walker took over that starting job, but one wonders if a move to center would prompt the team to look at adjusting those incentives.

Additionally, Jenkins is signed through the 2026 season, which will find him turning 31 just after Christmas. Especially if Jenkins plays at a high level at center in the upcoming season, he could be a candidate to receive a rare third contract from the Packers, who would surely love to reduce the $24.8 million salary cap hit he is set to cost in 2026.

For now, the Packers look to be fully set with a starting line of Walker, Banks, Jenkins, Rhyan, and Zach Tom for the 2025 season, with both tackles heading into a contract year.