The Inexperienced Bay Packers really feel they’re in a championship window, however a lot of their success hinges on the skills of Jordan Love.
Can he be an elite quarterback? He is proven that potential. He additionally struggled with harm for a lot of the 2024 season, so preserving him wholesome and guarded is a vital piece of the puzzle for Inexperienced Bay.
The Packers really feel they’ve a robust offensive line, they usually bolstered it this offseason by signing 6-foot-5, 325-pound Aaron Banks to play left guard. That transfer would enable two-time Professional Bowl guard/sort out Elgton Jenkins to maneuver to heart, a place he is fairly conversant in. With Jenkins at heart, which has been considerably of a weak spot not too long ago, the Packers really feel they will put the very best 5 offensive linemen on the sector to guard Love. Additionally they imagine Jenkins could be nice at heart, which he performed at Texas A&M.
It looks like a flawless plan, besides Jenkins hasn’t been part of offseason exercises this spring. Now, Rob Demovsky of ESPN is reporting that whereas Jenkins is okay with the transfer to heart, he is apprehensive concerning the long-term monetary ramifications as a result of facilities make considerably much less cash within the NFL than guards and positively tackles do.
“Jenkins has two years left on a four-year, $68 million contract extension he signed in December of 2022. It was designed to pay him as if he had been staying at guard whereas additionally remaining aggressive if he moved to the higher-priced sort out place. The common of $17 million would make him among the many highest-paid facilities within the league,” Demovsky wrote. “The issue, nonetheless, is that facilities sometimes make far lower than the highest-paid guards or tackles, so Jenkins’ issues are tied to future earnings, which could possibly be considerably decrease as a middle.”
Jenkins is on the lookout for monetary stability. The Packers are on the lookout for stability at heart.
There’s most likely a center floor in there someplace — Demovsky means that the Packers might assure a number of the $32.8 million remaining on his present deal — however the truth of the matter is that this must be solved prior to later for Inexperienced Bay.
A contract dispute in Might is one factor, but when this drags into the summer season and even into coaching camp, one thing like this might actually derail the beginning of the 2025 season.
Consistency is essential alongside an offensive line, and that is not even to say the consistency that must be developed between a middle and quarterback.
For Love’s sake, the Packers must resolve this rapidly and ensure their new heart is joyful. Anything could be malpractice by basic supervisor Brian Gutekunst.
