The Green Bay Packers have found their solution at center in Sean Rhyan.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Sunday the Packers signed the interior offensive lineman to a 3-year, $33 million contract. The deal could be worth as much as $39 million.
Rhyan landed the contract extension after finishing the 2025 campaign as Green Bay’s starting center.
“Rhyan becomes one of the highest paid centers after nine career starts there,” wrote Fowler.
Of those nine starts, one of them was Green Bay’s wild card playoff matchup versus the Chicago Bears.
The Packers’ decision to sign Rhyan as seemingly the team’s starting center going forward will have a significant impact on the center market.
First, more likely than not, it pulls the Packers out of the running for Tyler Linderbaum, Pundits have predicted Linderbaum to become the highest-paid center in the NFL this offseason.
With Rhyan’s contract, the Packers are also probably moving on from veteran interior lineman Elgton Jenkins.
Pundits have named Jenkins a trade or cut candidate this offseason for Green Bay. Jenkins started the first half of the 2025 campaign at center before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Packers could save about $20 million against the salary cap with Jenkins’s release.
Packers Re-Sign Lineman Sean Rhyan Just Before 2026 NFL Free Agency: Report
The Packers brought back Rhyan on a new contract on the eve of NFL free agency. Representation of all unrestricted free agents are permitted to begin talking to teams across the league at 12 pm ET Monday.
Green Bay drafted Rhyan at No. 92 overall in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Despite being a Day 2 pick, it didn’t appear Rhyan was going to be back with the Packers for 2026.
In the first half of 2025, he wasn’t a starter. Rhyan had lost his starting job at right guard from 2024.
But a broken fibula knocked out Jenkins during Week 10. Rhyan took over at center for the second half of last season.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters at the NFL combine Rhyan played at a “very high level” and improved every week while playing center.
“He’s just a really physical, strong guy,” added Gutekunst.
Packers Out of Running for Tyler Linderbaum?
It’s not clear how serious a suitor the Packers may have been for the top center in 2026 NFL free agency. It’s probably best to describe Linderbaum a dream target for Packers fans more than anything.
But with the Rhyan signing, the Linderbaum to Green Bay dream probably ends.
The Packers may not have been able to afford Linderbaum anyway. Multiple outlets have set the center’s free agency value at $71 million on a 4-year contract.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper ranked Linderbaum the No. 6 free agent overall this offseason.
With Rhyan likely the Packers starting center going forward, Green Bay could also part ways with Jenkins. A two-time Pro Bowler, Jenkins has been a great member of the Packers offensive line over the past seven seasons. But he struggled with his full-time transition to center last year and then suffered a serious leg injury.
Jenkins has one year left on his contract. The Packers could entertain trade offers. The veteran might not fetch a major return, but any draft capital could help since Green Bay doesn’t have a lot of 2026 picks.
Green Bay could also just simply release Jenkins to help its cap situation. Cutting the veteran would more than help create space for Rhyan’s new deal.
Jenkins has started 94 games for the Packers since 2019. He made the Pro Bowl during 2020 and 2022.
Packers Make $33 Million Move That Could Have Ripple Impact Across NFL: Report