Elgton Jenkins deserves the assurances he seeks from the Packers amid position change

The Packers projected starting center wants a new deal for his troubles changing positions and Green Bay would be smart to give it to him.

Elgton Jenkins knows what he’s giving up. The two-time Pro Bowl guard will theoretically move to center in 2025, a risky move for Jenkins as he’ll enter the spring of 2026 as a potential cap casualty. The Green Bay Packers can save $20 million on a crowded balance sheet by moving on from him, and they’ve shown a willingness to go into the season, even one in which they intend to compete for a championship, with a rookie center. On the other hand, Jenkins is precisely the kind of player the Packers have given third contracts to in the past, and has earned the right to assurances if he sacrifices for the team, the team will return the favor.

The highest-paid center in the league makes $18 million per year. Here we go again, right? After all the Jaire Alexander contract talk, Packers fans can be forgiven for their eyes crossing when they delve down the path of contract triage. But the numbers are easy here: Creed Humphrey makes $18 million per season to be an All-Pro, the best player in the league at his position.

Aaron Banks, a totally fine but not special guard, just got $19.25 million from Brian Gutekunst.

We could have started there. A materially worse player gets a multi-year deal, and a proven Pro Bowler is giving up his position to become a sacrificial lamb in a year? That hardly seems fair.

Forget about fair even; that’s bad team-building. Jenkins is better than Banks. Why get worse in the long term when the money isn’t even that different? Jenkins’ deal pays him $17 million per year. He’s better now and projects to be better a year from now. There’s no football reason to justify swapping the two players, and given the money outlaid for Banks, there’s no salary cap reason either.