Josh Myers - Pro Football Rumors

Previous Jets Regime Considered 2025 Quincy Williams Extension

March 27th, 2025 at 5:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamien Sherwood‘s market producing the result it did creates an interesting issue for a new Jets regime. A special-teamer for three seasons, Sherwood stood out subbing for the injured C.J. Mosley in 2024. The result: a three-year, $45MM contract — agreed to just before free agency — that came with $30MM guaranteed at signing.

That deal matched Nick Bolton‘s second Chiefs contract, with both approaching Zack Baun‘s Eagles re-up. This trio helped provide a bump for the off-ball linebacker market, which had taken some hits in recent years. The market soon included three more eight-figure AAVs — in Robert Spillane (Patriots), Dre Greenlaw (Broncos) and Terrel Bernard (Bills). However, the Jets’ most accomplished linebacker is not among this expanding group.

Quincy Williams remains attached to a three-year, $18MM deal. Considering the multiyear Mosley ILB partner has a first-team All-Pro nod on his resume and has played well for four Jets teams, it would seem the team’s Darren Mougey-Aaron Glenn regime has an update to make. It is not yet known if they have another payday in mind for Williams, but ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini notes the Joe Douglas-Robert Saleh partnership was open to a 2025 extension.

As the off-ball linebacker market stagnated following the Fred Warner and Shaquille Leonard extensions in 2021, Williams expressed disappointment with the contract he ultimately received from the Jets. Re-signed months before younger brother Quinnen received a high-end extension, Quincy disagreed with the comps the Jets used in negotiations. That 2023 offseason saw a host of off-ball LBs sign deals in the Williams neighborhood, but the Jets received a bargain. The former Jaguars castoff soared to the All-Pro level during his first season on that contract and added another strong season in 2024, though last season brought front office and coaching staff overhauls.

Sherwood received a much better market for his services this year, as the cap had climbed by a staggering $55MM between the 2023 and ’25 offseasons, but only has one season as an LB regular on his resume. Sherwood, however, is nearly four years younger than Williams; the latter is going into his age-29 season. That adds to a potential Jets dilemma, one that likely soon will involve Williams taking issue with his now-low-middle-class contract. The Murray State alum, who posted four forced fumbles and two sacks to go with 14 tackles for loss this past season, has become one of the league’s top off-ball LBs. He is now the NFL’s 37th-highest-paid player at the position.

One of the top acquisitions of the Douglas era, Williams is now in a key period regarding earning potential. This will be the last last season of his 20s to market toward a lucrative contract, and a $15MM-per-year floor certainly makes sense for a player who has been one of the drivers for the Jets’ Saleh-Jeff Ulbrich-era defensive turnaround. It will be interesting to see how Glenn views the productive ILB, who is due a $6.5MM base salary in 2025.

Elsewhere on the Jets’ payroll, the team added Josh Myers for even cheaper than initial reports suggested. The four-year Packers center signed with the Jets on a one-year, $2MM deal, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. It is fully guaranteed. This is well outside the ballpark fellow free agent center Drew Dalman landed in, and it profiles as a “prove it” pact. Myers, though, does not have a clear path to starting in New York, which has its 2024 interior-line trio (John Simpson, Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker) returning.

Rounding out Jets O-line notes, the team’s Chukwuma Okorafor contract is worth $1.3MM, Cimini tweets. Despite bailing on the Patriots after one game last season, the former Steelers RT mainstay received $758K guaranteed. He will vie for time at tackle for a team that lost 2024 RT starter Morgan Moses to the Pats.

Jets To Sign C Josh Myers

March 12th, 2025 at 5:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

One of the top remaining centers on the market has found a new home. Josh Myers has a deal in place with the Jets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports.

This will be a one-year contract, Fowler adds. Myers will collect $3.5MM after serving as Green Bay’s center starter over the course of his rookie contract. This marks New York’s second offensive line addition of the day, with tackle Chukwuma Okorafor also being added.

Neither addition will likely move the needle much for fans. Despite both players bringing a litany of starting experience with them to New York, neither player has graded out very favorably over the years, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Out of 40 centers graded this year, PFF ranked Myers at 38th. His best season analytically came when he ranked 26th of 36 graded players in 2022.

This is less important for Myers than for Okorafor. The team’s starting center from this past season, Joe Tippmann, graded out as the seventh-best center in the NFL, per PFF. Returning guards Alijah Vera-Tucker and John Simpson also graded out favorably as the ninth- and 11th-best guards in the league, per PFF.

The Myers signing is interesting for a team that saw such strong seasons analytically from its three interior linemen. The team will be replacing both offensive tackle spots, though, as Tyron Smith is a free agent (and possibly a retiree), and Morgan Moses has signed with the Patriots. Okorafor and last year’s first-round pick Olu Fashanu are currently slotted for those starting roles on the outside.

Without a starting spot for Myers, it’s assumed that he’ll come in as a potential sixth-man for the offensive line. He doesn’t have the experience to perform as a swing tackle, having played center in college, as well, but he could serve as a fourth interior lineman with extensive starting experience in case of injury.

Green Bay will have a vacancy to fill at center now. They may opt to slide Elgton Jenkins into the role, as he’s started there for them in the past, or they may turn to the draft or other free agents to fill the role externally.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

NFC North Notes: Garrett, Lions, Pack, Vikes

March 2nd, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Before the Lions zeroed in on Za’Darius Smith at the 2024 deadline, they asked the Browns about their other starting defensive end. As calls came in for Myles Garrett months before his trade request, ESPN’s Kimberley Martin notes the Lions showed the most interest. At the time (as is the case now), the Browns were not interested in moving Garrett. It is interesting that the Lions pursued Garrett and then completed a deal with the same team for Smith, acquiring the two-year Garrett sidekick in a pick-swap deal. Smith is on the radar to stay in Detroit, at a lower rate compared to his two-year, $23MM deal agreed to in 2023. The Lions needed a D-end, having lost Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport for the season, but the Browns did not budge. It would be tough for the Lions to swing a Garrett deal now, as Hutchinson moves toward a market-setting extension.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

While Hutchinson will be on the Lions’ extension radar, the team will have two years of rookie-deal control after it exercises the standout pass rusher’s fifth-year option. That did not delay the Lions on Penei Sewell, which will make Hutchinson a player to monitor in an explosive edge defender offseason. The Lions, however, have only this year left on Kerby Joseph‘s rookie deal. The All-Pro safety is targeting an extension, indicating (during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show) he wants to be a “life-long Lion.” Joseph could be a 2026 franchise tag candidate, if nothing transpires on that front before the 2026 free agency period, as the team also has Brian Branch likely in its future extension queue. Branch has two years remaining on his rookie deal.
Staying on the subject of extensions, Quay Walker is a candidate for a 2025 Packers payday. Because rush and non-rush linebackers are grouped together on the fifth-year option formula, Walker’s option will check in at $14.75MM. No team has picked up an ILB fifth-year option since 2022 (Devin White), and Brian Gutekunst (via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman) did not make it sound like Walker would be an exception. “The linebacker for the fifth-year option is a little wonky because there’s so many edge guys that are part of that, which drives up that number, which probably isn’t great,” Gutekunst said. “But yeah, we’d like to find a way to keep Quay around here long-term, whether that be an extension or something.” The three-year starter will be in a contract year if/when the Pack decline his option.
Josh Myers should have a nice free agency market, per ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the four-year starter did not suffer an injury during the Packers’ wild-card loss to the Eagles. Healthy heading into free agency, Myers may check in as the second-best center option (behind the Falcons’ Drew Dalman) on this year’s market. Gutekunst praised Myers after the season, and the former second-rounder wants to stay. The Packers, who let center Corey Linsley walk before drafting Myers, also have a potential Zach Tom extension to prepare for this year.
If the Vikings are to re-sign Aaron Jones, something Kevin O’Connell would be in favor of, they would plan to reduce his workload, via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert. Compiling a career-high 306 touches, the 30-year-old RB totaled 1,546 scrimmage yards — also the second-most in his career. The ex-Packer said he wants to stay in Minnesota, and his void date has been pushed back to March 11, giving the Vikes more time on a re-signing. Jones’ workload came in part because the Vikings lost faith in Ty Chandler, Seifert adds, leading to their second Cam Akers trade.
Neither Ed Ingram nor Blake Brandel are locks to be blocking for whichever running back the Vikings start in 2025. Brandel will see $1.65MM of his $2.6MM base salary become guaranteed on March 14, while the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes Ingram — who lost his RG job last season — is “highly unlikely” to be brought back at a $5.2MM base salary (thanks to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program) in the final year of his second-round deal.

Josh Myers Wants To Re-Sign With Packers

January 29th, 2025 at 3:17pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Center Josh Myers weathered multiple injuries to start 16 games for the Packers in 2024, and he is hoping to run it back in 2025.

“I’d absolutely love to be here,” said Myers after the Packers’ season ended, per Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. He is the team’s only full-time starter schedule to hit free agency this offseason and should have a strong market as a consistent starting center with a high floor. While he lacks the Pro Bowl pedigree of Erik McCoy and Tyler Biadasz, Myers should be able to earn an APY comparable to the contracts signed by Aaron Brewer and Andre James last offseason.

With just over $40MM in cap space, per OverTheCap, the Packers could afford such a $7-8MM per-year deal. However, the team already has three potential centers on their roster in Elgton Jenkins, Zach Tom, and Sean Rhyan, per The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. That could lead Green Bay to move on from Myers, partially in an effort to get 2024 first-rounder Jordan Morgan in the starting lineup.

Jenkins and Rhyan are both guards, where Morgan played all of his rookie snaps after starting as a left tackle in his final two college seasons. If the Packers truly want to give Morgan a chance at a starting job in 2025, they are more likely to move Jenkins or Rhyan to center instead of Tom.

That would leave Myers, a 2021 second-round pick, looking for a new team this offseason. He may not be an elite center, but he offers reliable play at the position and allowed just one sack in 2024, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That should be enough to earn him another starting job in 2025, in Green Bay or elsewhere.

OL Notes: Thuney, Packers, Cowboys, Bears

January 17th, 2025 at 7:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

Joe Thuney landed on the All-Pro first team at his natural left guard position, but as the Chiefs have struggled to find a left tackle solution this season, they had kicked their standout LG to that post. Although in-season free agency addition D.J. Humphries is healthy, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes Kansas City will leave Thuney at LT. This arrangement has featured Mike Caliendo at left guard. Humphries, who rehabbed an ACL tear for most of 2024 as a free agent, suffered a hamstring injury during his Chiefs debut. Thuney has fared much better than Wanya Morris or second-round rookie Kingsley Suamataia, the latter having won the job out of training camp. While the two-time reigning champions will have work to do at this spot soon, it appears their threepeat push will feature Thuney at LT the rest of the way.

Here is the latest from the O-line ranks:

The Packers have both their primary tackle starters (Rasheed Walker, Zach Tom) under contract for 2025, and Elgton Jenkins is tied to a lucrative extension. With Jordan Morgan‘s rookie deal going through 2027, Green Bay only has one key UFA-to-be on its offensive front. Four-year center starter Josh Myers is out of contract, but GM Brian Gutekunst labeled (via the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s Ryan Wood) the blocker as having “his best year.” Perhaps more importantly, Gutekunst praised how Myers and Jordan Love work as a combo on offense. Although Ryan Kelly is the biggest name among available centers, Myers’ age (26) and experience (56 starts) will help him become one of the top interior O-linemen on the market. The Packers last faced a decision on a center in 2021, when they let Corey Linsley walk before drafting Myers. It will be interesting to see how they address the situation with Myers.
Also in Green Bay, Gutekunst noted that there could be some shuffling in the offensive line starters’ positions. Notably, he mentioned that Tom, who has started every game at right tackle for the past two years, could potentially shift over to the blind side, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Back in 2022, Tom’s rookie season, the Wake Forest alum started games at both left tackle and left guard, and Gutekunst believes Tom could play any of the five positions, though he lauds that the 25-year-old has established himself at tackle and could end up starting on the left side.
In the recent past Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have been extremely fortunate when forced to start rookie offensive linemen. Players like Tyler Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Connor Williams, and Zack Martin have all been players who immediately (or almost immediately) stepped in to great success on the offensive line in Dallas. This year, Jones hoped he’d be able to count to two rookies drafted in the first three rounds once again, starting first-round Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton and third-round Kansas State center Cooper Beebe for a combined 27 games. Guyton was drafted to replace departed veteran Tyron Smith, but the rookie was in a bit over his head this season. Out of 81 players graded at the position by Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Guyton graded out as the 73rd-best tackle, getting benched near the end of the season. Beebe faired a bit better in 16 starts but only ranked as the 16th-best center in the league, per PFF. According to Jon Machota of The Athletic, Jones admitted on a radio interview with 105.3 The FAN that he “probably got a little out over (his) skis thinking, ‘just plug those guys in.'”
Offensive guard Matt Pryor has bounced around quite a bit over his first six years in the NFL, getting traded halfway through his rookie deal from Philadelphia to Indianapolis before spending a year each in San Francisco and Chicago. In his sixth NFL season, Pryor, who had only filled in as a starter over his first five years, found himself starting 15 games this season for the Bears. According to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, Pryor wouldn’t mind putting down some roots, saying “he’d like to return” after the one-year deal he played on this season. He graded out decently (21st of 77) per PFF, so he could fetch some money on the free agent market, but it sounds like he’s interested in staying in Chicago.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Packers’ Jordan Love Suffers MCL Sprain, To Miss Three To Six Weeks

September 8th, 2024 at 8:54am CST by Ben Levine

SEPTEMBER 8: Love’s MCL injury is between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 sprain, per Rapoport (video link). Love will miss three to six weeks, and it is still unclear whether Willis or Clifford will take the reins in the meantime.

SEPTEMBER 7, 10:04PM: It’s bittersweet news for the Packers after getting the results of their additional scans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Love’s ACL suffered no damage, but he has suffered an MCL sprain. To be clear: this is still good news. When the alternative was the end of the 2024 season for Love, an MCL sprain should be a breath of fresh air.

The young passer, who leads the league in annual average value while making $55MM per year, will still likely miss some time, but the prognosis is much more positive than a season-ending injury. It looks like Green Bay will be forced to depend on Willis or Clifford at quarterback for about four t0 six weeks until Love is able to return. That or they will need to look to the free agent market for a rental.

11:15AM: Some good news on the Love front, at least temporarily. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that initial tests indicate that Love’s ACL is intact. Of course, the quarterback isn’t completely out of the woods. Pelissero warns that there’s still “a wide range of outcomes based on additional scans.”

9:05AM: The Packers dropped their season opener to the Eagles, but the team may have suffered an even more devastating loss along the way. Jordan Love suffered an apparent leg injury during the final drive of last night’s game in Brazil.

A dejected Matt LaFleur didn’t have any updates about his quarterback’s condition following the game. The Packers are scheduled to land back in Green Bay this afternoon, at which time they’ll presumably get more clarity on Love’s injury. Dianna Russini of The Athletic clarifies that Love will indeed undergo an MRI later today, although an ankle injury has already been ruled out.

The injury occurred with five seconds remaining in the game as Love was attempting a Hail Mary pass. Replays showed the quarterback’s knee pop as he was brought to the ground by Eagles defenders, and Love then remained on the ground while “writhing in pain,” per Lukas Weese and Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. As Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com notes, the injury was clearly reminiscent of Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles injury last year.

From a glass-half-full perspective, Weese and Schneidman note that Love was able to exit the Packers locker room under his own power. The quarterback also didn’t have a noticeable limp.

The centerpiece of Green Bay’s young core, Love was expected to take another step forward following his breakout 2023 campaign. The Packers are especially confident in their franchise quarterback, as the team handed him a four-year, $220MM extension this offseason that featured a record $55MM average annual value. If Love is forced to miss time, Malik Willis would likely take over as the starting quarterback. The Packers are also stashing Sean Clifford on the practice squad.

Center Josh Myers also suffered an injury on the same play as Love, with the lineman telling ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that “severe cramps” forced him to the sideline. The starter will presumably be alright moving forward, but the Packers showed their contingency plan on the final two playe by moving Elgton Jenkins to center (with Sean Rhyan taking over as left guard and Jordan Morgan taking over as right guard).

Latest On Packers’ Offensive Line

July 13th, 2024 at 2:37pm CST by Ely Allen

The Packers are set to return four of five from their starting offensive line from last year. Only right guard Jon Runyan departed in free agency, signing with the Giants in the offseason. With that kind of returning experience, one might not expect many changes to occur, but that may not be the case in Green Bay this summer as the team has remained active in adding to the position group.

Taking a look at the returning four starters, we’ll start at center with Josh Myers. After missing most of his rookie season with a knee injury, Myers has bounced back reliably, starting all 17 games in each of the last two years. While the best ability is availability, Myers hasn’t shined during his rookie contract, never ranking higher than the 26th-best at his position, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Heading into a contract year, Myers will need to show he deserves a second contract in the NFL

Returning at left guard is Elgton Jenkins, who has impressed at times in recent years but had a bit of a down season in 2023. After Pro Bowl seasons in 2020 and 2021, Jenkins rankied just 28th out of 77 players at the position in 2023. PFF did grant him the league’s seventh-highest pass blocking grade last year, though, an area in which he routinely excels. He has had a little trouble staying on the field as of late, missing at least two games in each of the past three years, including nine missed games with a torn ACL in 2021.

At tackle, the team returns both starters in Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom. A seventh-round pick in 2022 out of Penn State, Walker took over the starting left tackle job for Yosh Nijman in place of an injured David Bakhtiari in Week 2 of last season and only gave the job up for a short, injured period. In his first season as a starter, Walker performed admirably during his 15 starts. A fourth-round pick in the same draft out of Wake Forest, Tom has been a pleasant surprise in Green Bay at right tackle. After stepping into a starting role for five games in his rookie season, Tom became a full-time starter last year and PFF rewarded his efforts by grading him as the 15th-best tackle in the NFL. His run blocking grade was the sixth-best in the league.

While Walker was an admirable replacement for Bakhtiari in a pinch, the Packers made two moves that indicate they may be entertaining an upgrade at the position, signing veteran free agent Andre Dillard and drafting Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan in the first round of this year’s draft. A former first-round pick himself out of Washington State, Dillard failed to live up to his draft stock in four years between the Eagles and Titans. After only nine starts in three years in Philadelphia, Dillard started a career-high 10 games for Tennessee last year. Showing improvement in a new city last season, perhaps another change of scenery could benefit Dillard, but if he can’t unseat Walker, he at least serves as a valuable backup swing tackle with starting experience after the departure of Nijman in free agency.

Though Morgan played solely at left tackle in his career with the Wildcats, many saw him projecting better at guard during the pre-draft process. Green Bay saw what most others did and tried him out at every position except center during the spring, according to Packers editor Mike Spofford. Morgan could be battling for multiple starting jobs depending on what the team needs him to do. Obviously, with left tackle experience, Morgan could offer an improvement to what Walker provides as a starter, though the absence of Tom throughout organized team activities and minicamp due to a torn pectoral muscle could mean Morgan gets more reps on the right side. Tom is due back for training camp, though it’s unclear how healthy he’ll be.

Morgan could also be an option to replace Runyan at right guard, though he’ll be competing with yet another 2022 draft pick. Former third-rounder Sean Rhyan out of UCLA got a bit of action last year after seeing little utilization in his rookie season. Rhyan was essentially splitting time with Runyan at the end of last year, so while he has zero starts to his name, he does have first-team experience. In the case that neither player steps up, the team can fall back onto Royce Newman, who started as a rookie in 2021 before taking lesser roles the last two years.

What we’re seeing in Green Bay is a healthy situation. Plenty of experienced starters return in 2024 and a few candidates like Morgan, Dillard, and Rhyan provide potential improvements and strong competition to either replace Runyan or beat out a returning starter. Myers, perhaps a weak point on the line, should get one more opportunity to prove himself, as well. Offensive line coach Luke Butkus has a lot of strong options as the team nears a return for camp.

NFC North Rumors: Tom, Bears, Vikes, Lions

August 16th, 2023 at 1:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

This offseason, Zach Tom loomed as a challenger for either the Packers‘ center or right tackle spots. While it is not known just yet where the second-year blocker will end up, it looks like his playing time will increase. Tom is going to end up starting, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes (subscription required). A fourth-round pick out of Wake Forest, Tom started five of the nine games he played last season and saw time at four of the five O-line positions (all but center). Tom did start at center for the Demon Deacons, however, playing there and at left tackle in college. Former second-round pick Josh Myers has been the Packers’ primary center over the past two seasons. Should Tom land at right tackle, Yosh Nijman — whom the team gave a second-round RFA tender this offseason — would be on track to be a backup.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

The Bears‘ running back race is still too early to call, but The Athletic’s Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain posit that Khalil Herbert is the current frontronner. David Montgomery‘s top backup last season, Herbert flashed when available. The former sixth-round pick averaged 5.7 yards per carry, helping the Bears lead the league in rushing. With Montgomery now in Detroit, the Bears have held a three-man competition — between Herbert, UFA pickup D’Onta Foreman and fourth-rounder Roschon Johnson — to replace him. Even if Herbert wins the starter gig, Chicago’s run-oriented attack will likely require regular workloads from multiple backs.
Veteran running back Mike Davis stopped through Minneapolis for a recent Vikings workout, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Minnesota, which is all set to complete a Dalvin Cook-to-Alexander Mattison transition, recently auditioned Kareem Hunt as well. Beyond Mattison, the Vikings roster Ty Chandler (2022, Round 5) and DeWayne McBride (2023, Round 7) as their top backfield options. Davis, 30, spent last season with the Ravens but did not carve out much playing time — even for a team reeling at running back. He fared better with the Panthers and Falcons in 2020 and 2021, respectively, combining for 1,145 rushing yards in that span.
Byron Murphy played a versatile role for the Cardinals, lining up in the slot and outside. The Vikings are planning to capitalize on Murphy’s slot experience, with ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert noting the free agency pickup will move inside when the team shifts to its nickel package. With nickel and dime sets now more common than base alignments, Murphy should be expected to see plenty of slot work in Minnesota.
A 2022 second-round pick, Andrew Booth has not made a strong case to move into the starting lineup alongside Murphy. The Clemson product is running Akayleb Evans, a 2022 fourth-rounder, along with Joejuan Williams and rookie third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon. Williams and Blackmon look to be competing for the CB3 role, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis adds, and the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling notes the rookie is believed to be ahead of the former Patriots second-rounder. Evans, who played 162 defensive snaps last season, has spent the most time with the first team of this group. The Vikings have rebooted at corner, letting both Patrick Peterson and slot Chandon Sullivan walk in free agency.
Danielle Hunter‘s reworked deal calls for a $20.95MM cap hit, and although this is now a contract year for the veteran defensive end, two void years remain on the deal (Twitter links via Goessling and ESPN’s Field Yates). Hunter’s $3MM in incentives are classified as not likely to be earned, per Goessling. The void years would leave the Vikings with a $14.9MM dead-money hit if they do not re-sign Hunter before the 2024 league year begins. Void years led to the Vikings taking a $7.5MM dead-money hit when Dalvin Tomlinson left in free agency this year.
While Teddy Bridgewater secured $2.5MM guaranteed from the Lions, GOPHNX.com’s Howard Balzer tweets the veteran QB’s Lions deal is worth $3MM in base value. The Lions used a void year, keeping the cap number at $2.66MM.

Latest On Packers’ Offensive Line

May 18th, 2023 at 11:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Elgton Jenkins passed on testing free agency to sign a lucrative Packers extension, a deal that ties the Pro Bowler to Green Bay through the 2026 season and one that looks to solidify the team’s left guard spot for the foreseeable future.

The Packers entered last season with plans of moving Jenkins to right tackle — opposite a recovered David Bakhtiari, whom Jenkins had previously replaced on the left side — before shifting their younger Pro Bowl blocker back to guard. The left side of Green Bay’s offensive line — when Bakhtiari suits up, that is — is not in question. Competition will take place at other spots along the Packers’ O-line.

Although the Packers took Josh Myers in the 2021 second round and have used him as a starter in all 23 games he has played — including 17 last season — he will be challenged this year. Second-year blocker Zach Tom poses as the top challenger for both the center and right tackle spots, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic notes (subscription required).

Chosen in the fourth round out of Wake Forest, Tom started at both center and left tackle for the Demon Deacons. Bakhtiari’s issues staying on the field last season moved Tom into Green Bay’s lineup in his stead, and while a role as a super sub of sorts could end up being where Tom ends up this year, Matt LaFleur said earlier this offseason center might be the young lineman’s best spot. Pro Football Focus graded Myers as the league’s 26th-best center last season. While Myers shook off the health issues that plagued him as a rookie, the Ohio State alum will no longer be handed a gig in Green Bay.

Packers OC Adam Stenavich said (via ESPN’s Rob Demovsky) Tom will also compete at right guard, though Schneidman adds Jon Runyan Jr.‘s spot is probably safer than either Myers or right tackle Yosh Nijman‘s. PFF slotted Runyan 37th among guards last season. The second-generation pro is going into a contract year. Nijman played 555 right tackle snaps for the Pack last season; Tom played 84. Nijman being tendered at the second-round level ($4.3MM) as an RFA does illustrate Packer confidence, however. Royce Newman, who has started 22 games since his 2021 rookie year, remains on the roster as well. Newman showed rocky form last season but offers versatility in having played 100-plus snaps at guard and tackle in 2022.

PFF ranked the Packers’ O-line third in the league last season, putting the team on solid footing going into 2023. Last year featured both Bakhtiari and Jenkins rehabbing major knee injuries. Both returned in 2022. At $17MM per year, Jenkins is now the NFL’s third-highest-paid guard (behind Chris Lindstrom and Quenton Nelson). Bakhtiari remains the league’s third-highest-paid tackle, at $23MM per year. While Bakhtiari’s game count this year — after he missed 22 contests from 2021-22 — will play a significant role in his post-2023 Packers future, the franchise will begin its Jordan Love era with a quality foundation up front.