With the Cleveland Browns losing much of their offensive line from the 2025 roster, addressing the position quickly became a priority this offseason. On Tuesday, the team took a major step toward rebuilding the unit by adding a proven veteran with significant starting experience.
Former Packers Lineman Elgton Jenkins Signs With Browns in Free Agency
NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero posted on X about former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins getting a free agent deal from the Browns.
Pelissero wrote, “Two-time Pro Bowl OL Elgton Jenkins is signing with the Browns on a two-year, $24 million deal with $20M guaranteed, sources tell me and @RapSheet. A day his release from Green Bay, Jenkins heads to Cleveland on a deal negotiated by Damarius Bilbo of @KlutchSports.”
When the Packers released Jenkins on March 9, that cleared $19.5 million in cap space for Green Bay. His career NFL earnings total $57,083,965, according to data from Spotrac. Jenkins has played his entire six-season NFL career with the Packers, logging more than 1,000 snaps in 2020 and 2024.
The Packers drafted Jenkins out of Mississippi State in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a center, he’s played an important role in making sure the Packers’ offensive line worked in sync. Now, new Browns head coach Todd Monken will have a veteran along his offensive line in the upcoming season.
Two-time Pro Bowl OL Elgton Jenkins is signing with the Browns on a two-year, $24 million deal with $20M guaranteed, sources tell me and @RapSheet.
A day his release from Green Bay, Jenkins heads to Cleveland on a deal negotiated by Damarius Bilbo of @KlutchSports pic.twitter.com/IXrcEcqonq
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 10, 2026
The Browns are trying to reignite a franchise that hasn’t performed well in recent seasons. The franchise has been through quarterbacks like a sieve in the past few seasons. Last season, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Joe Flacco took turns running the Cleveland offense.
But the hope is that a strengthened offensive line will give whoever lines up under center — whether it’s Sanders or another option — with more pocket protection. Something that has often been missing in recent seasons.
And few linemen bring the versatility of Jenkins, who earned his Pro Bowl selections in the 2020 and 2022 NFL seasons. He’s also played at left guard and right tackle for Green Bay.
Across 96 career games, Jenkins has started 94. Although injuries limited him to just nine starts last season and ultimately pushed the Packers to move on during the 2025 campaign, Cleveland now offers a fresh opportunity. If Jenkins returns to his Pro Bowl form, this signing could quietly become one of the Browns’ most important roster upgrades heading into the season.
