3 Green Bay Packers who likely won’t be brought back in 2021
2. 49. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. C. Green Bay Packers. Corey Linsley. player
Re-signing Bakhtiari was the biggest offensive line decision the Packers needed to make before the kickoff of the 2021 season. Unfortunately, paying big money for the All-Pro left tackle might well cost Green Bay the services of their elite center.
Linsley made in excess of $10 million this season which is a large cap number for the center position. The Packers may look at his free agency as an opportunity to cut costs at a position where they can afford to endure a slight downgrade.
The question here is whether or not Rodgers will pressure the team’s front office to keep one of his prime protectors. If the quarterback makes a power play, all bets are off. The bet here is that Rodgers will be pacified with the understanding that four of the team’s five starters up front will return.
That will permit Linsley to hit the open market and spark a bidding war of sorts. He could even find a team willing to offer him a raise over his 2020 salary. He’ll be 30-years-old next season which means this is his last chance to earn a lucrative long-term deal. If he wants to maximize his future earnings it means he will need to leave Green Bay. They don’t have the room to pay him a premium salary.