The Green Bay Packers need major improvement from their offensive line to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in the 2026 season.

Injuries, mental mistakes, and multiple cases of “square peg, round hole” led to Green Bay’s usually stout line being one of the team’s weakest units. The group was Andy Herman’s lowest-graded (a distressing -13.60) and plummeted down PFF’s rankings, going from sixth in 2024 to 19th in 2025.

It won’t be easy to elevate the entire squadron, but center is of particular concern.

For now, the Packers have three in-house options, but there’s a solid chance two of them aren’t on the roster come the start of the new league year. Can the Packers make a plan with the guys they have, or will they need to roll the dice on an outside hire?

Former center Josh Myers was well-loved by the coaching staff but was clearly the offensive line’s weakest link. That led to his departure as a free agent after the 2024 season, even though he eventually accepted a deal Green Bay could have afforded.

Even back then, there wasn’t immediately a clear succession plan. Eventually, the Packers signed left guard Aaron Banks to a massive contract, which shifted Elgton Jenkins to center. Though generally a less lucrative position, many have long thought Jenkins’ best spot could be center.

Throughout the season, Jenkins didn’t make a smooth transition to his new position, and the offensive line improved when right guard Sean Rhyan moved after Jenkins’ eventual trip to IR.

Rhyan was a decent center, despite a few hiccups and his low PFF rankings. The offensive line struggled overall due to a lack of continuity. Still, it improved with Rhyan in the middle, especially at run blocking.

The Packers could feel comfortable with Rhyan as the starting center in 2026 — except he’ll be a free agent in March.

Spotrac predicts Rhyan will earn an average yearly salary of $6.5 million on his next deal. That’s a modest amount compared to other positions, but one that would have him flirting with top-10 center money. He could potentially make even more if a team wants him as a guard.

Interior offensive linemen still make less than their tackle brethren, but that’s been changing in recent years. We need only look at Aaron Banks’ $19.25 million yearly average with the Packers to see that even average interior linemen are getting paid.

If Rhyan’s market isn’t robust, he should be one of Green Bay’s many higher-priority unrestricted free agents. Rhyan brings familiarity to the position while other offensive linemen are still growing into their roles, and he could start at either guard spot in a pinch. Green Bay doesn’t have much interior depth right now.

Technically, Elgton Jenkins is still under contract. However, with his cap hit (over $24 million), recent injury, and the fact that he’ll turn 31 during the season, he’s a prime cut candidate. All things considered, Rhyan played better than Jenkins (grading higher on Herman’s rankings) and would be cheaper. It’s hard to imagine a world where Jenkins is on the roster this summer.

Rhyan much better.

— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) January 18, 2026

Jacob Monk is the other in-house option. The former fifth-round pick has extensive collegiate experience at the interior.

Given how the Packers typically operate, one would expect them to let Rhyan (and Jenkins) walk, since the “clear replacement” is already on the roster.

Unfortunately, those of us outside the building have no idea what to expect from Monk. In his rookie season, Monk was often a healthy scratch despite Green Bay’s dearth of interior line depth. Entering his second season in 2025, Monk had a rough preseason before missing significant time with a hamstring injury. Even when available, he mostly played a handful of special teams snaps per game at most.

Only in the regular-season finale, essentially a preseason game for Green Bay with their injuries and locked-in playoff spot, did we see much of Monk on offense. On the one hand, Monk was Green Bay’s second-highest-graded offensive player, with PFF giving him a solid 76 overall. However, his 77.5 run-blocking grade heavily influenced that number. Monk struggled with pass protection despite not being credited with a pressure, resulting in a massively lopsided overall PFF score.

If Green Bay lets Rhyan walk, that might mean they feel confident enough in Monk’s growth to give him the starting nod, or at least compete with a draft pick or a free agent. But from what we, the audience, have been privy to, there would be legitimate cause for concern.

We’ll have a better idea of how Green Bay feels about its current options based on the moves it makes when the new league year begins. Still, even if Rhyan re-signs with Monk as the backup, expect to see the Packers make at least some investment in the position, whether a draft pick, veteran free agent, or a surprise splurge in free agency. It’s a spot with major question marks and little proof, and they need depth anyway.

stinky center class and even worse free agency class outside of maybe one or two guys. sean rhyan makes all the sense in the world for green bay to retain https://t.co/8pHm2rR2jn

— zach jacobson (@zacobson) January 15, 2026