The Elgton Jenkins contract saga came to an end Monday and was revealed to not be as dramatic as first thought.
Jenkins took part in his first practice of training camp and afterwards spoke to the media to clarify his situation which has been much discussed throughout the spring and summer.
It seemed like a convenient excuse that Jenkins had a back injury and was not able to practice in the midst of the reporting around his contract, but Green Bay’s new center verified he has in fact been dealing with something.
He told the assembled media he hurt his back early in the offseason while lifting weights, and did not want to rush his return.
As far as his contract goes, Jenkins confirmed he is not expecting any adjustment to be made to his deal, which has two years and $42.4 million remaining.
The veteran offensive lineman admitted he had considered the financial ramifications of moving from guard to center (guards generally get paid more than centers), but is seemingly unbothered by the fact talks with his employer did not come to anything.
Jenkins said he had not skipped OTAs due to the contract discussions and instead had a personal matter. He said: “I’m having changes in my family right now, so I wanted to spend more time with them.”
“I’m very confident in my ability and what I can do, so the financial side, I know that’s going to come.”
It always appeared unlikely the Packers would make any significant alterations to Jenkins’ contract, a four-year pact which he is only halfway through.
The deal is beneficial for Green Bay, with the team able to move on after 2025 and only incur a dead cap hit of $4.8 million, while saving $20 million against the cap. With such a team friendly deal and Jenkins turning 30 this year, they had little reason to make a change.
Jenkins had no real leverage other than to withhold his services or refuse to move to center, but he has taken a team-first approach, and expressed his excitement for the change, going back to the position he played most often at Mississippi State.
The Packers first brought the idea to Jenkins in his exit interview after the conclusion of the 2024 season. Jenkins explained: “I met with the GM, it was a good conversation. They asked me if I wanted to move, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll move.'”
Jenkins once again confirmed during a call with the team later in the offseason he was happy to transition to center.
Now working his way back into practice, Jenkins can finally build a rapport with quarterback Jordan Love, which will be crucial.
On the adjustment of going back to center, he said: “There’s definitely some rust to get knocked off, but I played it in college, I got drafted here as a center, I played it a couple games earlier in my career and I feel like I can be a great center in this league.”
Jenkins has played center for the Packers on occasion, but this has mostly come with little warning, filling in for former starter Josh Myers due to injury.
Entering his seventh year in the league, Jenkins is looking forward to focussing on the position full time and believes it will mean he is able to find consistency there.
He told the media: “I can get those reps and I can really freshen up on my technique, so I think it’s going to help me out a lot.”
More conversations will have to be had down the road and ultimately decisions must be made on Jenkins’ contract and his long-term future with Green Bay, but for now, he is back on the field, seemingly content and ramping up for the 2025 season.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Elgton Jenkins talks contract, back injury after return to practice