It might feel like the 2023 season just ended, but free agency is only a week away.
As the new league year begins, the Green Bay Packers have to decide who fits the future of their team and where they can afford to upgrade.
The offense exceeded expectations in the first year with Jordan Love under center, and most of the core pieces expect to be back. But the offensive line still has some uncertainty. David Bakhtiari will be the headliner, but the interior also has question marks.
Thanks to injuries and subpar play, the Packers rotated Jon Runyan Jr. and Sean Rhyan at right guard, never seemingly committing to one or the other. But Runyan is a free agent, so will Green Bay re-sign him or let the veteran starter walk?
Since becoming a full-time starter in his second season, Runyan has been a solid and mostly reliable starter. He’s another example of the Packers finding starting offensive linemen on Day 3 of the draft. The sixth-round pick missed only one game between 2021 and 2023.
Runyan switched from the left side to the right after Elgton Jenkins moved back to guard full-time, providing much-needed stability as Green Bay struggled to find their best five. But in a contract year, Runyan had his worst year as a starter in 2023. He dealt with lingering injuries, allowed 22 pressures and two sacks, and committed a career-high six penalties.
That led to a late-season timeshare with Rhyan over the final stretch of games, where each played around 50% of snaps. Rhyan had a challenging rookie season, but in limited action he started to show why the Packers took him in the third round of the 2022 draft. Rhyan and Runyan split snaps in the final four regular-season games and the playoffs roughly 50/50. However, it’s worth noting that Runyan played most of the snaps against the San Francisco 49ers.
Runyan has been a fantastic pass protector in Green Bay, with PackersWire highlighting his 98.1 career pass-blocking efficiency. But, overall, he was the 41st-graded guard in 2023. His 54.7 PFF grade was his lowest since his rookie season.
Runyan and Rhyan were similarly adept at run blocking, with 50.4 and 50.2 PFF grades, respectively.
Rhyan hasn’t had a ton of starting experience and may only be beginning to ascend. Runyan is a free agent, so the Packers could feel confident enough to move ahead with Rhyan as the presumptive starting right guard and let him develop. However, The Athletic‘s Matt Schneidman reported Tuesday that Runyan had switched agents, and his team met with the Packers during the combine. Reportedly, there is a mutual interest in Runyan returning to Green Bay.
Offensive line depth is rare in the league, and Runyan loves the Packers organization. Therefore, a reunion makes sense at the right price.
Even in what looked like a down year for most of the season, Green Bay still had one of the league’s better offensive lines, especially in pass protection. Other teams would be, and probably are, envious of Green Bay’s O-line depth. Being able to re-sign Runyan, even if he’s not a preferred starter, gives depth and peace of mind.
We also don’t know Green Bay’s long-term plans at center. The team appears to like Josh Myers more than the fanbase does, but there’s no guarantee he’ll get a second contract. Runyan’s ability to play center gives him even more appeal.
If nothing else, Runyan would offer tremendous value in the Lucas Patrick-type interior backup role.
And we know Runyan would love to be back. In an emotional end-of-season interview, Runyan said, “I gave them all I could, really. I never went out there without trying to give my best. I hope the fans and my teammates and coaches are able to see that. I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional right now, but it means a lot to me. It was awesome. I don’t want to leave, but it’s not really in my hands.”
The price is the main issue, of course. If Rhyan is their preferred starter, Green Bay won’t want to invest too much money in the backup role. But Runyan has played well enough to earn a starting role and a bigger payday elsewhere in the league.
The draft also seems like a prime opportunity for Gutekunst to load up on offensive line depth, as he has done in the past. There isn’t a ton of interior offensive line depth, especially if Royce Newman doesn’t return. The Packers still need to stock the cupboard.
It seems like an uphill battle for Runyan to end up back in Green Bay, but it would be a good move if it could happen. Runyan’s versatility, experience, and spirit would bring a lot to the Packers at the right price.
