Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst acted well outside of his character, and that of the franchise, when he traded two first-round picks for Micah Parsons in August, but fans should expect the organization to get back to its roots this offseason.
What does that mean? ESPN’s Bill Barnwell summed it up on Monday, January 12 when floating the notion of Green Bay releasing $68 million offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins — a winner of Pro-Bowl honors two times over (2020, 2022) and a Packers lifer through the first seven years of his NFL career.
“They’re the youngest team in the league on an annual basis, as Gutekunst strips the oldest players from the roster and loads up on draft picks,” Barnwell wrote. “This offseason might be the end of the line in Green Bay for 30-year-old lineman Elgton Jenkins, who has a $24.8 million cap hit next season.”
Elgton Jenkins Not Healthy, Productive Enough to Justify Cost of Final Contract Year
GettyOffensive lineman Elgton Jenkins of the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers can save more than $19.5 million against the cap by cutting Jenkins while incurring a dead cap hit of just $4.8 million, per Over The Cap. Green Bay isn’t in too bad of financial shape heading into 2026, as the franchise is looking at a roughly $10.2 million deficit as of Monday.
That sort of cap situation doesn’t necessarily demand the team cut Jenkins, but circumstances overwhelmingly dictate it as the logical move. He suffered an ankle fracture against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 10, which required surgery to repair and ended his season.
Jenkins is now on the wrong side of 30 years old. And while advanced analytics continue to indicate that he is a productive player when healthy, he wasn’t nearly productive enough across nine games played in 2025 for the Packers to keep him at a cap cost of almost $25 million next season.
Green Bay’s Offensive Line Took Step Back in 2025, as Right Tackle Zach Tom Missed Time With Injuries
GettyRight tackle Zach Tom #50 of the Green Bay Packers.
What’s more, the Green Bay offensive line regressed year-over-year, dropping from the sixth-ranked unit in 2024 to No. 19 in 2025, per the PFF rating system.
“The Packers’ offensive line struggled in pass protection this season,” PFF’s Zoltán Buday wrote January 7. “The unit gave up 173 pressures, including 15 sacks, on 561 pass plays. That fueled an 83.2 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked only 26th in the NFL in 2025.”
Part of the problem was Zach Tom’s health, as the league’s second-best right tackle missed five regular season contests with back and knee injuries as well as the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Chicago Bears.
“Tom said he’s leaning toward surgery for a partially torn patellar tendon suffered in Week 15,” Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported Monday. “Estimates the recovery time as six months.”
Packers Predicted to Part Ways With LT Rasheed Walker in Free Agency
GettyGreen Bay Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker.
While Tom should be back in plenty of time for the regular season, left tackle Rasheed Walker is likely headed the way of Jenkins — on the way out of Green Bay and bound for a new team in 2026.
“The Packers will reinvent their offensive line,” Ben Solak of ESPN predicted Monday. “Both left tackle Rasheed Walker (free agent) and center Elgton Jenkins (one year remaining) will be replaced by younger options with lower-priced contracts in Jordan Morgan, Sean Rhyan and Anthony Belton.”
“Green Bay won’t be big spenders with its coaching staff potentially in flux if the team has a disappointing 2026 season,” Solak continued.
Walker, who turns 26 in February, has provided significant value for the Packers at left tackle after the team selected him in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. However, Spotrac projects his market value at nearly $81.5 million over a new four-year contract, which is far more than Green Bay is likely to spend with less expensive alternatives already in-house.
Packers Expected to Cut Ties With 2-Time Pro Bowler on $68 Million Deal