GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Packers center Elgton Jenkins, the longest-tenured offensive player in Titletown, is back at training camp after missing the first four days.
“Really just being out there with the guys was my favorite part,” said Jenkins. “Just being able to have fun, smile with the guys, and go through the plays and stuff like that… it just feels good to play football.”
The now-7th year pro missed OTA’s a couple months ago due to a family matter, before joining the team for mandatory minicamp in June. But, Jenkins couldn’t participate due to a back issue he suffered in the offseason.
“I was lifting weights and just hurt it,” said the offensive lineman. “I wanted to just be careful and not rush myself back.”
In his absence, the rumor mill started to circulate. That led to reports about a contract dispute between Jenkins’ agent and the Packers regarding the 2019 draft pick’s current $68 million deal.
With the disparity between contract amounts for guards compared to centers (12 guards make $10+ million compared to just six centers), with the expectation that Jenkins would move to center, his camp didn’t want the position change to negatively affect deals in the future from a financial perspective.
But as of day five of training camp, Jenkins isn’t worried about that.
“I’ve been playing this game for over 20 years and seven years in the league,” said Jenkins. “I’m very confident in my ability and what I can do so with the financial side, I know that’s going to come.”
Now that Jenkins has put to bed the contract controversy, telling the media he “doesn’t believe anything will get done” in regards to his current deal, the focus is solely on the position change.
“I did say later in my career I wanted to move (from guard to center),” said Jenkins. “They asked me and I said ‘yes,’ then they gave me some time to think about it and I told them I’d do it.”
After playing 67 games as left guard in six seasons in the NFL, it might seem odd for a team to make such a drastic move. But considering Jenkins filled in at center against the Lions last year, and has four career starts at that position in his professional career, the adjustment shouldn’t be too worrisome.
“I played it in college and got drafted here as a center,” said Jenkins. “(The change) isn’t going to be anything crazy and I feel like I’ll be a great center in this league.”
Even though Jenkins has only one practice under his belt this offseason, which included the first time he’s taken reps with Jordan Love on Monday, the former two-time all-pro guard is confident he can turn back the clock to when he thrived as a center in college.
“I feel like the sky’s the limit honestly,” said the 7th year pro. “I can be an all-pro, a pro-bowler, and probably even better. We’ll just have to see.”
With just over a month left until the regular season, all eyes will be on Green Bay’s new center as he eyes to match those lofty expectations set by himself. Before then, it’s about getting his footing in training camp.
“There’s definitely some rust that has to be knocked off,” said Jenkins. “Just getting the ins and outs of things and building that chemistry… I think it’s going to help me out a lot getting back into camp slowly and getting those reps.”
