The Green Bay Packers have 11 unrestricted free agents they must decide on during the 2025 offseason. One of those players is center Josh Myers.
Myers has faced criticism for his inconsistency over the years, but general manager Brian Gutekunst had high praise for him during his season-ending press conference.
“I thought he had his best year,” said Gutekunst. “He dealt with some things during this year that were tough, and I thought he fought through it like a champion. He’s certainly an asset to our football team. I know Jordan (Love) trusts him very much as his center. He’s a UFA, so we’ll see where all that goes, but I can’t say enough good things about Josh Myers, not only as a player but as a leader. He really does embody a Green Bay Packer and kind of what we’re looking for.”
Drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft, Myers has started all 56 games he’s appeared in for the Packers over the past four seasons. After missing 11 games during his rookie season, Myers remained healthy enough to miss only one game over the past three seasons (including playoffs).
As Gutekunst mentioned, Myers played through wrist and pectoral injuries during the 2024 season but only missed the team’s Week 9 matchup against the Detroit Lions.
While Myers’ durability and leadership qualities are praiseworthy, his performance on the field has left something to be desired. Called on to replace a former All-Pro in Corey Linsley, Myers has had big shoes to fill while simultaneously being compared to Kansas City Chiefs center Creed Humphrey, who was selected one pick after Myers.
Humphrey is a three-time Pro-Bowler and was named to a first-team All-Pro in 2024. Before the season, the Chiefs signed him to a four-year contract extension worth $72 million, $50 million of which was guaranteed. It’s safe to say Myers won’t be getting anything close to that.
Pro Football Focus has consistently rated Myers as one of the worst starting centers in the league. In 2022, PFF rated him 25th out of the 34 centers that played at least 500 offensive snaps. In 2023, he ranked 26th out of 32.
Gutekunst also said that 2024 was Myers’ best year yet, but PFF rated him tied for 30th out of 32 centers that played 500 offensive snaps. In addition to Myers’ poor PFF ratings, his shortcomings as a player have shown up on tape throughout his career.
Still, for those hoping Green Bay would find an upgrade for Myers this offseason, it may not be that simple. The Packers’ current options at center if Myers does not return are questionable at best. Elgton Jenkins started the Lions game in place of Myers during the regular season but struggled with snap placement. Sean Rhyan also took snaps at center during training camp but saw only four snaps during the regular season.
Green Bay could address the position in free agency or through the draft, but Gutekunst appears to be a big fan of Myers.
“I look back at that one, and I’m really glad we’ve had him for the last four years,” Gutekunst said.
Fortunately, Myers avoided what was initially feared to be a significant injury in the playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Myers told Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com that he thinks he might have just suffered a hairline fracture in his leg.
“All things considered,” he said. “I think I got lucky.”
Should Myers hit the open market, he should draw interest from teams looking for an experienced center. The Packers do have the ability to re-sign him before he can begin negotiating with other teams at 12:00 noon EST on March 10.