It might just be that time. Green Bay Packers starting center Elgton Jenkins could see his tenure with the franchise finally come to an end.
In the Packers' Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the team saw starting center Elgton Jenkins leave the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury. He did not return.
Following the Monday Night Football defeat, head coach Matt LaFleur gave reporters an update on Jenkins' ankle, and it's not one that Packers fans will want to hear.
"It doesn't sound promising," LaFleur said of his center's ankle injury.
Depending on how severe the injury ends up being, Jenkins very well could have played his final snap with the Packers. According to ESPN's Rob Demovsky, "X-rays showed Jenkins has a fracture."
Elgton Jenkins' ankle injury isn't the only factor in deciding his Packers future
Jenkins' ankle injury is only part of the equation, at this point. While it's unfortunate that the two-time Pro Bowler went down, and it could wind up being a long-term issue, there's an equally-important aspect to discuss here.
Next offseason, Jenkins is a top candidate to be a cap casualty in Green Bay. The 2026 season is the final of his four-year deal. But his cap hit rises to over $24 million next year.
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If the Packers were to cut him loose, they would save exactly $20 million in doing so. That's a whole lot of money.
As it stands, Green Bay is projected to only have roughly $10.7 million in cap space for next year, per Over the Cap.
Considering much of that will be used to sign their rookie class, that doesn't leave really anything else to work with in free agency. You could say the writing has been on the wall for Jenkins, at this point, but this injury only made things worse.
If Jenkins doesn't play another down this season, there is a very good chance that his final play in green and gold was the one which saw him go down with an injury.
Jenkins has started 94 games over his tenure with the Packers, playing multiple positions over that time period. From guard, to tackle, to center, he's done it all. This would be a sad ending to an otherwise admirable seven-year career in Green Bay, so we're hoping for the best in the coming days.