GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers didn’t have any must-signs prior to the start of free agency, but their decision to pay premium dollars for free-agent-to-be Sean Rhyan is their biggest statement yet about their concerns for 2026.
A bigger free-agent signing could be pending and trades also are possible, but agreeing to terms with Rhyan on a three-year, $33 million contract, including an $11 million signing bonus, could be the determining factor in how well Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst’s offseason goes.
It’s because just three months ago, personnel people thought Rhyan was worth around $5-6 million a year given his newness to the center position and stuggles with pass protection. Their caveat was that Rhyan still had a chance to prove he could be a legitimate NFL starter and not a career backup.
In Gutekunst’s evaluation, Rhyan made that jump, and moving forward without him was a huge risk.
He and Russ Ball, executive vice president of football operations, went to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis and met with a gaggle of player agents to gauge the market on their own free agents and some others they were interested in.
Somewhere along the way, they were convinced Rhyan was worthy of sitting among the NFL’s top-10 highest-paid centers.
It remains to be seen how the deal is structured, but the fact Rhyan got $11 million upfront means the average is legitimate. For salary-cap purposes, the Packers probably kept his first-year base low to help keep his cap number around $5 million.
A consideration in paying Rhyan as they did is that center salaries are ballooning. Buffalo’s Connor McGovern, signing a four-year deal worth a reported $13 million annually with $32 million guaranteed. Those numbers haven’t been confirmed, but assuming they’re close, it’s part of the reset of the market.
The big money will go to Baltimore’s Tyler Linderbaum, who may approach Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey ($18 million) for the league lead. Carolina’s Cade Mays and Cleveland’s Ethan Pocic are likely to top Rhyan’s deal, and Miami’s Aaron Brewer is in line to sign a blockbuster deal before the year is over.
Even Washington’s Tyler Biadasz, who was cut by the Washington Commanders, received $10 million per year from the Los Angeles Chargers.
In other words, the Packers are anticipating $11 million per year to be a reasonable price for a mid- to upper-tier center the next three seasons.
Their assessment isn’t a slam dunk.
Rhyan gives everything he’s got on every play and given he is 6-foot-5, 321 pounds and able to move well enough to be an effective pull blocker, there’s a lot to like. The gamble they are making is whether he will continue to grow as a pass blocker.
He gave up no sacks in 11 starts at center but allowed four quarterback hits and 10 pressures while benefiting from the ability of quarterbacks Jordan Love and Malik Willis to avoid sacks. He is the best in-house option they have.
So, If they didn’t re-sign Rhyan, they would be forced to sign someone older and with far less upside in free agency, rely on a second- or third-round draft pick to fill the void or hope third-year pro Jacob Monk improved leaps and bounds.
With Rhyan in place, they can release Elgton Jenkins, who besides coming off a serious lower leg injury, is 30 years old and counts $24 million against the cap. By cutting him, they will gain $19.5 million in cap room, which they need if they’re going to re-sign some key role players or a free agent or two.
Going into 2026, the offensive looks like this: Jordan Morgan at left tackle, Aaron Banks at left guard, Rhyan at center, Anthony Belton at right guard and Zach Tom at right tackle. Tom is coming off knee surgery on his patellar tendon, but he already is doing aggressive rehab and may be ready for the start of the season.
Building depth is going to be critical because the backups with any experience who are under contract are Monk, tackle Travis Glover, guard Donovan Jennings and tackle Brant Banks. Finding quality linemen in free agency isn’t easy and rookie linemen are hit and miss, so Gutekunst has his work cut out for him.
It’s another reason why he had to pay a premium for Rhyan.
Zaire Franklin acquisition chips away at Packers’ defensive line depth
Finding a replacement for soon-to-be-departed linebacker Quay Walker was important and so acquiring veteran Zaire Franklin from the Indianapolis Colts helps fill a void at the position.
But the cost was defensive tackle Colby Wooden, a solid interior run defender who was making just $1.145 million this season. Compared with Franklin’s $7 million base salary and roster bonus, Gutekunst is filling one hole and creating another.
It’s likely Wooden doesn’t fit the 3-4 part of new coordinator Johnathan Gannon’s defensive scheme. He likes big defensive linemen who can eat up blockers and play over the center, which isn’t Wooden’s strength at 273 pounds.
It can be argued that Karl Brooks is a similar-type player, but he’s not. He weighs 296 pounds and can rush the passer, so he can be a third-down threat when the defense switches to a 4-3.
Gutekunst must find some big people in the middle. Assuming he releases or trades Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness will have an enormous role, serving both as an end in the 3-4 and an edge on passing downs. Warren Brinson, who is 6-5 and 315 pounds, should be a good fit as well.
The middle needs to be fortified with some big people who can eat up blockers. Gannon mostly played with 300-pound players along the defensive front, sometimes when he was in a 4-3 look.
Packers have a few days to get their salary cap right
A report that the Packers were going to restructure guard Aaron Banks’ contract is in line with the logical moves Gutekunst and Ball would have to make to get the Packers under the salary cap.
They so far have restructured two contracts: safety Xavier McKinney and Banks.
The Packers have three other players they can tap for salary restructures:
There is another $30 million of cap space out there if/when the Packers release or trade Jenkins ($19.5 million) and Rashan Gary ($11 million).
Where does that leave the Packers’ cap right now?
Good question. We’ll know for sure when free agency officially starts March 11 and all these contract moves become official. But for now, they’re close to their adjusted cap of around $310 million with lots of moves remaining.
This article originally appeared on Packers News: How bringing back center Sean Rhyan impacts Packers entering free agency
Reporting by Tom Silverstein, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Packers News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
