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Green Bay Packers left guard Elgton Jenkins was booted from August 9’s joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals after getting into multiple fights with the defense, and his post-practice response suggests he would gladly do it again.
Jenkins was at the center of two fights during Wednesday’s joint practice in Cincinnati, taking on Bengals linebacker Germaine Pratt and defensive lineman D.J. Reader before the Packers coaches elected to pull the two-time Pro Bowler from the practice.
In his fight with Reader, Jenkins drove the Bengals veteran in the opposite direction of the play and toward the Packers’ sideline until he knocked him onto the ground. While Packers receiver Romeo Doubs and center Josh Myers quickly intervened to separate them, Reader followed Jenkins to jaw at him and Jenkins eventually took a swing back, resulting in Jenkins’ immediate removal from practice once the teams broke them up.
After practice, Reader took to Twitter to not-so-subtly call out Jenkins, tweeting out: “He’s a J A G.” He also engaged in back-and-forths with Packers fans in response and, at one point, criticized Jenkins’ reputation as a pass-blocker since he had an “easy” task blocking for four-time MVP and future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“Blocking for 12 was so easy a cave man could do it,” Reader wrote. “You’ll see this year tho.”
Jenkins, however, was unfazed and seemed to only find Reader’s reaction amusing. He also made it perfectly clear to the Bengals veteran that the “film don’t lie.”
“That get back a MF,” Jenkins tweeted with a crying-laughing emoji afterward. He also later added: “And that film don’t lie. #backpockets.”
Elgton Jenkins Could Reach All-Pro Level in 2023
Coming into the 2023 season, there is no doubt that Jenkins is one of the most gifted offensive players on the Packers’ roster.
The 27-year-old has allowed a grand total of six sacks over his first four seasons (and 2,092 pass-blocking snaps) as an NFL starter and has shown remarkable versatility by being able to line up at any of the five spots on the offensive line. Jenkins has also been named to the Pro Bowl roster in two of the last three seasons with the exception being in 2021 when he tore his ACL and was sidelined midway through their campaign.
There’s a reason why Jenkins was ranked No. 4 in ESPN’s top 10 interior offensive linemen for the 2023 season, a list determined by executives, coaches and scouts.
“He’s powerful, smart, good feet, versatile,” an anonymous AFC scout told ESPN for the ranking. “If his home is at guard, he’ll be premier.”
Fortunately, Jenkins’ home will be left guard for the 2023 season barring a major injury forcing the Packers to shake up their alignment again. He was stunning when he moved back to the position in Week 7 last season, allowing one sack and five pressures over his 10 games at the position. The Packers also paid him like a guard — albeit, a well-paid one — when they signed him to a four-year, $68 million extension last December.
If Jenkins can maintain his high standard of play over a full season in 2023, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be in the conversation for All-Pro recognition in January.
Who Will Packers Tab as Starting Right Tackle?
The Packers have the left side of their offensive line solidified with five-time All-Pro David Bakhtiari back as their stalwart blindside blocker and Jenkins lining up beside him on the interior, but there are still some questions about the other three positions on their offensive line with the right tackle spot enduring as the biggest mystery.
Through the first few weeks of practice, the Packers have primarily repped Yosh Nijman and Zach Tom at right tackle and could tab either one of them to be their Day 1 starter. Nijman manned the position for 11 games in 2022 after Jenkins moved back inside in Week 7 and, despite a few rough outings as a pass blocker, showed promise at the spot. Tom, however, also looked good as a fill-in left tackle starter during his rookie season, becoming the first Packers rookie to start at the blindside spot since Bakhtiari in 2023.
The Packers are more deeply invested in Tom — who was a 2022 fourth-round pick — as a long-term option and would likely prefer to get him in the starting lineup somewhere, but they may need him to convincingly beat out Nijman in camp to feel comfortable about giving him the starting nod for the season opener.
If Nijman does prevail, Tom could still contend for one of the two interior starting jobs that seem to be up for grabs. The Packers have given Tom several reps with the starters at center over the first few weeks of camp, but former second-rounder Josh Myers is still fighting to hold onto that job for the 2023 season. Right guard is also winnable, but Tom would have to beat out Jon Runyan Jr., Sean Rhyan and Royce Newman to start.
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