Elgton Jenkins focused on becoming a "great" center rather than his contract
Jenkins, who skipped the voluntary offseason program, practiced Monday for the first time since his position switch after beginning training camp on the non-football injury list with a back injury.
Jenkins said his agent, Damarius Bilbo, spoke to the Packers, and Rob Demovsky of ESPN reports that Bilbo asked about guaranteeing some of the remaining money on the final two years of the deal.
'They had a conversation, and obviously the conversation was going on for a long period of time,' Jenkins said, via Demovsky. 'But right now where we're at is focusing on the being the best player I can be. Been playing this game for 20-some years, seven years in the league. I'm very confident in my ability and what I can do. The financial side, I know that's going to come. Right now, it's just how can we build chemistry within the O-line to get better and as an offense.'
Jenkins forfeited a $500,000 workout bonus for skipping the voluntary offseason work. He has non-guaranteed salaries of $11.7 million this season and $18.5 million in 2026, and he said he has no assurances from the Packers about his future.
The two-time Pro Bowler will replace center Josh Myers, who left in free agency, with free agent signee Aaron Banks starting at left guard. Jenkins made 16 starts at left guard and one at center last season.
'There was definitely some rust that had to be knocked off,' Jenkins said. 'I'm about to get the ins and outs of things, but I played it in college, got drafted here as a center. It's not going to be anything different. I played it last year, played it a couple games early in my career, so it's not going to be nothing crazy and I feel like I'll to be a great center in this league.'
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Malik Willis took a snap from the 12-yard line and Brown stared him down from the deep middle of the field. Willis fired into heavy traffic for wide receiver Julian Hicks in the end zone and instead hit Brown. Omar Brown picks off Malik Willis on the goal line. That's the second-year safety's third INT of camp. — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 3, 2025 His second came on a deflection by cornerback Tyron Herring, who broke up a Taylor Elgersma pass for Hicks before the ball fell into Brown's hands behind the play. His third pick was his best, as he ranged over to cover Hicks on a Willis deep ball down the left sideline after Hicks got space on safety Kitan Oladapo. The ball hit off Brown's facemask as he jumped, popped up in the air and he secured it as he fell to the ground. Advertisement 'I don't think the quarterback saw me. I kind of snuck behind him,' Brown said. 'We both went up for it and I just came down with it.' 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Advertisement Also not practicing Saturday were wide receiver Christian Watson (knee), wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (calf), wide receiver Sam Brown Jr. (ankle), cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee), running back MarShawn Lloyd (groin), cornerback Kamal Hadden (hip), defensive end Collin Oliver (hamstring), defensive end Arron Mosby (groin), left tackle Rasheed Walker (groin), offensive lineman John Williams (back) and offensive lineman Travis Glover (shoulder). 3. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons showcased his coverage skills in 1-on-1s, with a pass breakup against tight end John FitzPatrick on an in-breaking route and a breakup near the front-left pylon against tight end Luke Musgrave. Simmons has played defensive back before in the NFL, but the Packers are keeping him at linebacker. Remember when De'Vondre Campbell credited the Packers' staff for simplifying his defensive role at linebacker (compared to what he did previously in Atlanta) after he made the All-Pro First Team in 2021? Simmons probably won't be an All-Pro since he's the Packers' fourth linebacker on the depth chart behind Edgerrin Cooper, Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie, but if anything, he offers intriguing depth on defense in addition to playing a significant role on special teams. Jordan Love sees a lane and takes off for an 18-yard run — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) August 3, 2025 4. Green Bay's defense had a handful of standout plays during Saturday's practice. It should be noted that, because the entire night was livestreamed, the Packers kept everything 'pretty vanilla,' like they would in a preseason game. However, there were five interceptions, Brown's three, cornerback Kalen King jumping a Willis pass on the sideline intended for Hicks and cornerback Carrington Valentine shutting down a Matthew Golden go route before making a lunging grab on Jordan Love's pass that drifted well ahead of Golden during the starters' two-minute drill (unclear if Valentine simply disrupted Golden's route that much or if Love overthrew the rookie). In the first team period, defensive tackle Kenny Clark snuck past center Elgton Jenkins to stuff running back Josh Jacobs, Cooper blew up a Golden end-around and defensive end Lukas Van Ness bull-rushed left tackle Jordan Morgan to sack Love. Brown had another run stuff of Chris Brooks while coming off the edge in the red zone, while Brooks got caught up behind a scrum. McKinney had the same against Jacobs, and defensive end Brenton Cox shed tight end Johnny Lumpkin for a stuff of running back Izzy Abanikanda in the red zone. Other standout plays included cornerback Bo Melton's impressive coverage of Golden on a go ball that fell incomplete, defensive lineman Keith Randolph's would-be sack of Elgersma on Brown's second interception, Cooper's potential sack after lining up in the A gap and curling around the right side of the offensive line and defensive end Kingsley Enagbare beating left tackle Anthony Belton for a tackle for loss on running back Amar Johnson. Defensive end Barryn Sorrell also cleanly went around Belton for a sack of Willis during the two-minute drill. 5. Morgan is getting extensive work at left tackle with Walker nursing a groin injury. General manager Brian Gutekunst indicated recently that it would take a significant effort for someone to unseat Walker on Love's blind side, but the 2024 first-round pick is getting the chance to prove himself at his college position after playing strictly right guard as a rookie. That's where the Packers placed him last year since they felt it would be his best chance to start, and Morgan rotated with Sean Rhyan until a shoulder injury ended his season after six games. Morgan said this week that he's most comfortable at left tackle and has been playing there his whole life. He might be the Packers' left tackle of the future, assuming Walker walks in free agency next offseason, but is there a chance he's their left tackle of the present, too? 'There's been a lot of good moments and then there's some things we have to clean up,' LaFleur said. 'It's like that for a lot of players, especially young players. What did he play, six games last year? And this has been primarily inside. To get him outside at left tackle, there's going to be some hard lessons along the way, but I love how he's attacked this thing and the work that he put in throughout the course of the offseason has been pretty evident. You can tell by his body. We'll continue to push him to be the best he can be.' (Top photo of Omar Brown: Tork Mason / Imagn Images)
