While Corey Linsley required a cart to leave Lambeau Field on Sunday night, he is not believed to be out for the season. That said, the Packers will be without their starting center for some time.
Linsley’s knee sprain prompted the Packers to move him to IR on Saturday. This will be a blow to both the Packers and the contract-year blocker, who has enjoyed a strong age-29 season.
Pro Football Focus slots Linsley on a separate tier from other centers this season, grading the seventh-year Green Bay snapper as by far its No. 1 player at the position. While the Packers have versatile lineman Elgton Jenkins capable of taking over at center, this will be a setback for the team’s top-tier O-line.
Notable extension talks between the Packers and Linsley have not yet come to pass. The team recently made standout left tackle David Bakhtiari the league’s highest-paid left tackle and by far the highest-paid O-lineman in franchise history. As of now, Green Bay is projected to be more than $16MM over the reduced 2021 cap. That will complicate matters for a team that has Linsley and Aaron Jones as UFAs-to-be. Linsley signed his first Packers extension in 2017.
Great photo. If I’m a coach this is how I want my OL to look.