The Packers have made two bold roster moves in less than 48 hours. First, they brought in linebacker Zaire Franklin from Indianapolis. Now, they have locked up an offensive lineman whose role is set to be central to Jordan Love in the upcoming season.

“The #Packers and OL Sean Rhyan agreed to a 3-year, $33M extension with a max value of $39M, per me and @TomPelissero. Rhyan becomes one of the highest-paid centers after 9 starts at the position. Deal negotiated by @AgentMirza, Cameron Foster, and @chriscabott of @EquitySports,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday.

Packers offensive lineman Sean Rhyan has signed a three-year extension worth $33 million, with a maximum value of $39 million. The deal carries an average annual salary of $11 million, with the signing bonus and guaranteed money both structured at that same number. The contract was negotiated by Sam Mirza, director of Equity Sports, along with Cameron Foster and Chris Cabott of the same agency.

Rhyan has been with the Packers since they selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft out of UCLA. He completed his four-year rookie contract worth $5.12 million at the end of the 2025 season and was going to be an unrestricted free agent. However, the Packers moved quickly before the open market could intervene.

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The extension now keeps Rhyan in Green Bay to continue doing what he did for Love last season, protecting him from the inside. In 2025, Rhyan started four games at right guard before shifting to center after Elgton Jenkins broke his ankle. He went on to start seven games at the position.

Rhyan has grown consistently across his four seasons in Green Bay. In his rookie year, he appeared in just one game. In 2023, he began to find his footing, playing in 12 games and logging 183 offensive snaps. The 2024 season marked his true arrival: he started all 17 games and logged 963 snaps, accounting for 88.84% of the team’s total offensive snaps.

Last season, he carried that momentum into one of his most impactful years yet. Rhyan appeared in all 17 games, made 11 starts, and racked up 808 snaps, which accounted for 76.88% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps, ranking third on the team. For a player who barely played in his rookie year, those numbers reflect a steady, quiet rise that the front office clearly noticed.

The Rhyan signing closes the chapter on the offensive side of Green Bay’s pre-free agency activity. But it also comes directly on the heels of a move the Packers made on defense just one day earlier.

Green Bay turns the page on Quay Walker with Zaire Franklin trade

On March 7, Green Bay traded defensive tackle Colby Wooden to the Colts and received linebacker Zaire Franklin in return. The move came after the Packers attempted to work out a contract extension with linebacker Quay Walker, but he is set to hit the open market, where Pelissero reports he is expected to draw a strong free-agent market.

But for the Packers, Franklin brings eight years of pro experience. The 29-year-old has appeared in 132 games and made 82 starts throughout his career. His most dominant season came in 2024, when he recorded 3.5 sacks, a league-high 173 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and four quarterback hits, earning a Pro Bowl along the way.

Franklin will arrive in Green Bay on the remainder of his existing contract with Indy. He has two years left on the three-year extension he signed with the Colts in 2024. In 2026, Franklin takes home a base salary of $6.24 million and costs the Packers just over $7 million against the cap.

That cap number looks even smarter when stacked against what keeping Walker might have cost. ESPN’s Dan Graziano estimated Walker could secure a three-year contract worth approximately $42 million in free agency. That could translate to around $14 million per year.

By pivoting to Franklin, the Packers get a proven, high-volume linebacker at a fraction of the price, and they can use the savings to make moves like the one they made for Rhyan.