The Green Bay Packers all but officially inaugurated a new look on the offensive line by re-signing Sean Rhyan for three years and $33 million. Moving on from Elgton Jenkins already felt inevitable, and the Packers officially released him on Monday.
Elsewhere along the front lines, left tackle Rasheed Walker is expected to depart in free agency.
Aaron Banks, Green Bay's most expensive free agent signing last offseason, will man one of the guard spots. For now, rookie Anthony Belton is slated to handle the other.
And trusty Zach Tom remains the anchor of the front lines at right tackle. Pending further additions, that is the current state of Jordan Love's offensive line.
Tom will be the last man standing from the group in place in Love's first year as a starter. That was three years ago. If that feels like a lot of upheaval in a short time, it is. Tom figures to be more crucial than ever as a stabilizing pillar on an O-line whose foundation is still being poured with fresh cement.
Packers will trust Zach Tom to lead the troops more than ever
The two other starters from Green Bay's 2024 front five, guard Jon Runyan Jr. and center Josh Myers, left for the New York Giants and Jets, respectively, in back-to-back seasons. Jenkins slid over to fill in for Myers. Now that he is on his way out, Rhyan will seemingly take over as the full-time center.
Given Green Bay's sizable commitment, which will pay double the salary many believed Rhyan would make, suggests that he will be a fixture for the foreseeable future, whether at center or guard.
Jordan Morgan is the heir apparent at left tackle, where he performed solidly in limited snaps last year.
At right guard, right now Green Bay appears to be committed to Belton, hoping for a sophomore leap from the 2025 second-rounder.
There is always the possibility, too, that the Packers allot significant snaps to an incoming draft pick, further recalibrating the rotation. Someone like Gennings Dunker from Iowa, for example, could fall to Green Bay at No. 52 and earn an opportunity similar to Belton, a 54th overall pick, in his rookie season.
With three younger players slotting in around him, the Packers will lean on Tom more than ever in the first season of his four-year extension signed last July. The 26-year-old is the unit's clear leader. It's a tall order, but perhaps it's just the opportunity he needs to earn an overdue Pro Bowl selection.
While Banks offers a veteran presence as well, he is a relative newcomer to Matt LaFleur's offense. Injuries marred Banks' first year in Green Bay, and Pro Football Focus graded him in the bottom 19 percent at his position. It was a disappointing result after the team handed him a big contract in free agency, one they have already begun restructuring.
The Packers are banking, so to speak, on a bounce-back at left guard in 2026, as well as the benefits of further experience from Morgan, Rhyan (a natural guard playing center), and Belton.
Even so, that's a whole lot of uncertainty staring down the depth chart. Tom himself would benefit from improved health after missing five games in 2025 and, like Banks, often played hurt. Nonetheless, PFF awarded him top 15 marks in both pass protection and run blocking, producing an overall rank of seventh among tackles.
Behind center, Love and the rest of the offense will need him as steadily elite and available as ever as the Packers transition to a new group in the trenches.