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Green Bay Packers replacement starting center Sean Rhyan, in for Elgton Jenkins, who has been on injured reserve since Week 11, went down with an injury on the Packers’ final drive against the Chicago Bears. Because he wasn’t able to get off the field under his own power in time, Green Bay had to take a 10-second runoff to get Rhyan off the field, which ultimately cost the Packers some precious clock at the end of the game and changed the situation dramatically.
Until Monday, we did not know the extent of the Rhyan injury. Today, he revealed that he suffered a bone bruise after the side of his knee was knocked, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Per Silverstein, tests showed no ligament damage.
A bone bruise may sound like a light injury. Structurally, everything is intact. With that being said, it can be very painful. Remember, this is the same pain-related issue that running back Josh Jacobs dealt with for all 10 of the final weeks of the regular season this year. It’s also the same injury that quarterback Aaron Rodgers left the action for in the 2018 season opener, before coming back to the field and being a little loopy post-game after taking what I can only imagine were horse pills in the locker room.
The good news here is that there is nothing structurally wrong with Rhyan, a 2026 free agent whom the Packers probably want to at least get a number for on a potential contract extension. Jenkins is highly likely to be a cap casualty next year. Without Rhyan, the next man up in 2026 would be Jacob Monk, a 2024 fifth-round pick whose only NFL start came in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings, when the team tried to absorb as many snaps as they possibly could with their backup units.
