GREEN BAY — One of the questions hovering over the start of Green Bay Packers training camp has been answered — at least, to a degree.
Pro Bowl left guard-turned-starting center Elgton Jenkins won’t be on the field for the first practice of camp on Wednesday, having been placed on the non-football injury list on Friday afternoon, according to the NFL’s official daily transaction wire.
The wire gave no indication of what Jenkins’ injury is or when it happened.
And, it’s possible that the move is just a procedural one, given how the offseason unfolded. Hoping the team would be willing to convert some of the existing salary left in his contract into guaranteed money to provide him with some security amid his position change.
Jenkins did not attend any of the team’s voluntary Phase I or Phase II sessions during the offseason program, and he didn’t come to the organized team activity practices either.
Jenkins did report to the team’s mandatory three-day minicamp last month, but he didn’t participate in any on-field work, which allowed him to avoid being fined had he no-showed.
Asked what Jenkins was doing during minicamp, head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t mention any specific injury that was keep him out.
“He’s helping out and coaching the other guys right now,” LaFleur said. “He’s worked on the side, but we thought it was best to keep him out today.”
Asked during minicamp if there had been any progress toward reaching an agreement with Jenkins, general manager Brian Gutekunst replied, ““We’ll keep those things in house. We don’t really talk about contract stuff.”
By all accounts, Jenkins isn’t upset about his position switch or about the four-year, $77 million free-agent deal the team gave ex-San Francisco 49ers left guard Aaron Banks to start in Jenkins’ old spot.
He simply wants financial assurances that he’ll finish out the final two years of his existing contract, which contains no remaining guaranteed money. Set to turn 30 on Dec. 26, Jenkins surely knows that the Packers have frequently moved on from thirtysomething players under Gutekunst.
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.
Jenkins, who was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2022, has a base salary of $11.7 million this year and $18.5 million in 2026. He spoke with 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.”
Jenkins is one of eight players the Packers designated on Friday as not yet ready to practice due to injuries.
Five players will start camp on the active physically unable to perform list after flunking their physicals: Wide receiver Christian Watson, who is coming back from a torn ACL in his right knee sustained in the Jan. 5 regular-season finale; linebacker Quay Walker, who was seen at minicamp on a one-legged scooter and his foot in an orthopedic boot after missing the final three regular-season games with an ankle injury; and three rookie draft picks: Edge rusher Collin Oliver, cornerback Micah Robinson and offensive lineman John Williams.
Undrafted rookie free agent running back Amar Johnson and International Pathway Player program kicker Alex Hale, who spent much of last season on the team’s practice squad, will also start camp on the NFI list with Jenkins.
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