The Packers have re-signed offensive lineman Sean Rhyan, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler indicates it’s a three-year, $33 million deal for Rhyan, which could be worth up to $39 million. The contract includes an $11 million signing bonus.
Rhyan appeared in all 17 regular season games for the Packers this year, in addition to their lone playoff game. Though he started the year at right guard, he ended up playing most of his snaps this season at center after a broken leg ended Elgton
Jenkins’ season.
This is a pretty big swing for the Packers. He’s worked at center more and more over the past couple of seasons, but he’s never been a full-time player there. In his first extended action at the position last season, he was just adequate. Pro Football Focus had him as the 28th-best center in the NFL among players who lined up for at least 500 snaps last year. He was their 17th-best run blocker and 34th-best pass blocker. Notably, only 34 centers played at least 500 snaps last year.
Now, the Packers are paying Rhyan like he’s one of the better centers in the league. This deal makes Rhyan the ninth center in the league to achieve more than $10 million per year in average annual contract value; assuming the value of his deal works out to $11 million per year (though it could be up to $13 million), Rhyan would be the seventh-highest-paid center in the NFL.
Elgton Jenkins, for what it’s worth, was tied for second in the NFL at $17 million per year, though his contract is an outlier — neither he nor the Packers intended for him to be playing center when he signed his last extension.
Rhyan’s deal almost certainly closes the door on Elgton Jenkins’ return to the Packers. It was essentially a sure thing already, but unless the Packers intend to make him a very expensive right guard, it’s hard to envision a scenario where they keep him.
While this deal settles the center position, it exposes the Packers to some potential uncertainty at right guard. Anthony Belton, a 2025 second round pick, is the presumed successor there, but he was anything but a sure thing in his rookie season. A full offseason of work at guard might fix some of his issues, though, since he really only made the switch to guard in the middle of the season. Additionally, this could make the Packers a bit more likely to bring back Darian Kinnard. A restricted free agent, Kinnard would only cost about $3.5 million if the Packers use the lowest available tender.
Regardless of what the Packers do, this is a great development for Rhyan, who has come a long way in his Packers career. A converted college tackle, he played just one game as a rookie before a PED suspension ended his season. Then he battled with Jon Runyan and Jordan Morgan at various points for reps at right guard before finally landing at center, which looks to be his long term home. Rhyan wasn’t a world beater at center, but considering the work he’s put in to this point, it’s hard to bet against him continuing to grow as an NFL player.
