GREEN BAY — From all appearances, Elgton Jenkins isn’t upset that the Green Bay Packers gave ex-San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Aaron Banks a whopping $77 million, four-year contract — including $27 million in a guaranteed signing bonus. 

And by all accounts, Jenkins isn’t even upset that they gave Banks his old job — left guard, where Jenkins has twice been a Pro Bowl pick (2020, 2022) — and asked him to move to center to accommodate his new teammate.

Instead, according to multiple sources, the reason Jenkins skipped all of the voluntary sessions of the offseason program — and reported for the mandatory minicamp without actually participating to avoid being fined — is that he’d like some of the remaining $30.2 million left on his contract to be guaranteed, giving him a measure of security amid his position switch and with his 30th birthday arriving the day after Christmas.

Considering Jenkins’ shift to center is the linchpin of the Packers’ reconfiguration of their offensive line — and the fact that general manager Brian Gutekunst himself said that the team believes Jenkins has the ability to be an “All-Pro” center — Jenkins isn’t out of line to want that.

With a base salary of $11.7 million this year and $18.5 million in 2026 — and no guarantees left in his deal — there’s nothing keeping the Packers from dumping him after the 2025 season and after he hits the not-so-magical age of 30.

As camp approaches, Jenkins is the second-oldest scrimmage player on the roster, behind only defensive tackle Kenny Clark, who’ll turn 30 on Oct. 4. The only players on the roster who’ve already celebrated their 30th birthdays are 33-year-old kicker Brandon McManus and 30-year-old long-snapper Matt Orzech.

Whether Jenkins will suit up for the first practice on July 23 without his contract being adjusted is unclear. He spoke with head coach Matt LaFleur while watching practice during the minicamp and LaFleur emerged from the conversation with optimism.

“Since he’s been back here, the communication’s been great between him and I. I expect him to be ready to go when we come back,” LaFleur said at the time. “He’s a guy that I really respect, how he works. The product obviously that he’s put out there from an individual standpoint has been pretty impressive. He’s fought through some adversity.

“He’s going to be a big part of this thing.”

So is Banks, which is why getting them settled in next to each other — and Banks assimilating to the rest of the group — is vital. Although Banks played in a similar system with the 49ers, the Packers’ blocking scheme has evolved during LaFleur’s first six seasons, and running back Josh Jacobs’ preference for the Duo scheme over the Outside Zone scheme is an additional wrinkle.

“I’m excited to get to block for him. He’s a really good back,” Banks said. “I think he makes our jobs easier and, vice-versa, we make his job easier. It’s really about working together and all being on the same page, trusting him to set up our blocks and trusting him to, when it comes down to it, make a guy miss, he’s going to make a guy miss and he’ll score. So, it’s a good balance between the two.”

It’s worth noting that a closer look at Banks’ deal shows a contract that the Packers could get out of after the 2025 season if for some unexpected reason Banks flops.

According to Spotrac, his 2026 base salary is $7.7 million, and he’s also due a $9.5 million roster bonus on the third day of the league year.

If the Packers were to decide he wasn’t a good fit, they’d be out roughly $29 million in 2025 pay but, oddly enough, his dead cap charge ($20 million) would be less than his scheduled 2026 cap charge ($24.85 million).

Banks, of course, isn’t expecting that to happen. He believes the Packers are a perfect fit for him and his skill set, and Green Bay reminds him of his college days at Notre Dame.

“I went to school in South Bend, Indiana, so it’s not much different. Very similar there,” Banks said. “So, not a huge change for me. I’m not really a guy that’s out and about and partying and stuff, anyway. I have a family, so I like to come in, play football, and I like to go home.”

About our “Most Important Packers of 2025” Series:  When the Packers kick off their seventh training camp under head coach Matt LaFleur on July 23, they’ll do so with a host of players facing pivotal seasons. LaFleur clearly believes he has ample talent to be a Super Bowl contender — even if he didn’t want to say so as the offseason program came to a close — but turning that belief into reality will require many of those players to produce at higher levels than they have in the past. This series, which began in 2010 on ESPNWisconsin.com, examines each of those players and how the team’s success hinges on their contributions. The list is compiled with input from team observers, former players and NFL sources.

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