Training camp has begun in Green Bay, but one of the Packers’ most crucial pieces on the offensive line is still yet to hit the field.
Elgton Jenkins did not practice on Wednesday, continuing an absence which stretches back to the offseason program, with the veteran not participating in OTAs and minicamp in recent months. This included mandatory minicamp, when Jenkins was present, but not practicing, with the team claiming he had an injury.
Ahead of the start of training camp, Jenkins was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list, which refers to injuries sustained away from the team facility. He was at practice on Wednesday but did not take part.
The backdrop to this story is that Jenkins is reportedly unhappy with his contract, and is in discussions with the Packers in search of a resolution.
Assumptions have been fairly made that Jenkins is in fact not injured, and is simply conducting a “hold in,” refusing to practice until a compromise is found and his contract is amended.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst denied this is the case when speaking to the assembled media before the first practice of training camp, saying Jenkins has a back injury which he is working through.
Gutekunst said he hopes Jenkins will be out there “soon,” and also claimed that Jenkins has indicated he will practice once he is healthy enough to do so.
Jenkins is set to move to center this season, replacing Josh Myers at the pivot after spending the vast majority of his NFL career at left guard. This is the only piece of tangible leverage Jenkins has in asking for an adjustment to his contract, as Green Bay’s plan for their offensive line in 2025, a critical year for the team, hinges on him making the move. It is understandable that Jenkins would not be ecstatic with the situation he finds himself in contractually.
He has two years left on his deal, but next year is set to count $24.8 million against the cap, an inflated figure which contains only $4.8 million of dead money if the Packers were to move on.
Jenkins has no guaranteed money remaining in his deal, will be 30 years old in December, and it seems clear he will not play for Green Bay next year on his existing terms. The Packers will not carry him on the team at such a bloated number.
There is no roster bonus to force Green Bay to make a decision on his future early next offseason, and Jenkins appears to be headed for a situation similar to the one Jaire Alexander found himself in this spring; stuck in limbo with little control over his fate.
Meanwhile, the Packers committed $77 million to Aaron Banks in March, who will slide in at left guard to fill Jenkins’ former spot. They also just awarded Zach Tom a deal worth a reported $88 million.
From Green Bay’s standpoint, there is no motivation to play ball with Jenkins other than not wanting to sour the relationship with a player who will be so important to them this season. They did not hand him a four-year deal with a $24 million signing bonus just to renegotiate it after two years.
They could play hard ball, and eventually Jenkins will have to show up and play or risk losing game checks. This is the extreme version of how talks could go, but the chances are the conversations are much more reasonable and amicable from both sides than that.
Gutekunst told the media Wednesday: “Elgton’s always done right by us, I think we’ve always done right by him.”
If he is indeed holding in, Jenkins missing time which could be used to build a rapport with quarterback Jordan Love, as well as getting familiar with having Banks and Sean Rhyan to his immediate left and right, is not ideal.
It seems very unlikely the Packers give Jenkins an outright extension, but perhaps a compromise will ultimately be agreed to get him back on the field.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers GM Brian Gutekunst speaks on Elgton Jenkins amid injury and contract dispute
Reporting by Mark Oldacres, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
