Packers: 3 players they shouldn’t have let go in recent offseasons

3. Corey Linsley

Given Green Bay’s tough salary cap situation, the team’s decision not to bring back Corey Linsley in 2021 is at least an understandable one. However, they badly missed their star center last season.

While Josh Myers played well when healthy and Lucas Patrick was a solid backup, it was always going to be impossible to replace Linsley.

Linsley was coming off a career year in 2021, in which he was named a first-team All-Pro.

After not being re-signed by the Packers, Linsley signed with the Los Angeles Chargers last season.

There, he continued his dominant play, being named a second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in his first year with the Chargers.

Pro Football Focus ranked the top centers in the NFL this offseason, and they had Linsley at No. 1.

The Packers don’t often lose star players in their prime. In Linsley, they have.

Green Bay’s interior offensive linemen are relatively inexperienced. Jon Runyan Jr. has one year of starting experience. Josh Myers and Royce Newman are entering their second seasons in the NFL.

The Packers are a win-now team. If they still had an All-Pro center, it would’ve helped the entire offensive line.

It would’ve required giving Linsley a big contract last year, but he continues to prove why he is worth it.