It's not a holdout . It might not even be a hold in. So far, Elgton Jenkins hasn't missed any mandatory time for the Green Bay Packers, and it sounds like the team is confident that one of their top offensive lineman will be ready soon enough. Elgton Jenkins has a back issue, according to general manager Brian Gutekunst, and that's why he was placed on the non-football injury list to start training camp.
"He's going through a back thing," Gutekunst revealed. "Again, hopefully, he'll be out there soon as well. All these guys need as many reps as they can get. Obviously, Elgton probably less than most, but getting them out there will be important."
Jenkins would want a contract adjustment with more guarantees, and that's why he skipped the voluntary portion of the offseason. Moving from left guard to center, it would be particularly impactful to have more reps with quarterback Jordan Love.
"The rapport when you talk about your offensive line is critical, especially at the center position," head coach Matt LaFleur said before practice on Wednesday. "A lot of times, it can be overlooked given all the nuances that position entails. You're the guy making all the calls. Obviously, you touch the ball on every play, you're the only other guy, other than the quarterback, who touches the ball every play, and there's nothing more important than that. So, the ability for the entire offense to get off on the snap count rests a lot on the shoulders of the center."
How the Packers are operating
On the first day of training camp, Jenkins wasn't on the field. Without him, the Packers started their rotation to find a replacement. At first, Sean Rhyan moved from right guard to center, with last year's first-rounder Jordan Morgan moving to right guard. The line had Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jordan Morgan, and Zach Tom.
In the second period, there were several changes. Morgan went to left tackle, Jacob Monk got in at center, and Rhyan moved back to right guard.
So far, it doesn't feel like the Packers are inclined to give Jenkins any contract adjustments.
"Contractually, there are all kinds of guys on our team and throughout the National Football League who would like different circumstances with that," Gutekunst explained. "So that's normal, it's just part of the NFL. Elgton's always done right by us, and I think we've always done right by him. We're excited to see him move to this new position, because we really do think he has an opportunity to help our football team. Certainly, he played center in college and was excellent at it. Our football team needs as many reps with him out there as possible. But we've got to get past this back thing first."
The next few weeks will be telling in regards to what Jenkins' 2025 season will look like.
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