The Green Bay Packers will likely have a new starting center to start the 2021 season.
According to Sports Illustrated Bill Huber, the Packers and All-Pro Corey Linsley have not had any contact since the end of the season, bringing home the hope that Linsley, a starter at the Packers center for the past seven seasons, has move on during free agency.
His contract with the Packers is scheduled to expire next month. At this time, you will become an unrestricted free agent, which will provide you with the ability to sign with any team.
After losing the game by NFC title, Linsley said he had not spoken to the Packers about a new deal, setting the stage for a possible exit. At the very least, Linsley will have a chance to hit the free market and see what kind of deals await him from other teams.
The Packers drafted Linsley in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He became an immediate freshman at center, a position he has held at Green Bay ever since.
The 2020 season was Linsley’s best as a professional. Once again dominant as a step blocker, Linsley emerged as a key part of the Packers ’zone blocking scheme. It ended the year with the highest overall rating of all Pro Football Focus centers.
The Packers have internal options to replace him at center. Lucas Patrick has experience playing the position, 2019 second round coach Elgton Jenkins was a longtime center in the state of Mississippi and played there while Linsley was injured last season and the sixth coach Round of 2020, Jake Hanson began all four seasons in downtown Oregon. It’s possible that even Jon Runyan could be an option in the center, depending on how the Packers want to cross-train positions and set up the starting five without Linsley and potentially David Bakhtiari, who is recovering from an ACL injury.
Linsley, who turns 30 in late July, could sign a deal worth $ 10 million or more a year on the open market. According to Over the Cap, the highest paid center in football is Ryan Kelly of the Indianapolis Colts. His four-year deal is worth $ 12.4 million per season. In general, five different centers earn $ 11 million or more a year, so a pay raise will be achieved for the first-team All-Pro center starting in 2020.