Sean Rhyan enters training camp as the Green Bay Packers starting center. That means the team will be counting on the UCLA alum to be an integral part of their offensive line. But Rhyan’s road to this point has been anything but conventional. In fact, his NFL career has taken many unexpected twists and turns. Today, we examine the wild roller coaster career of Packers offensive lineman Sean Rhyan.

The Wild Roller Coaster Career of Packers OL Sean Rhyan: A Rocky Start

Rhyan played left tackle during his college career. He started as a freshman and never relinquished the spot. The Packers selected him in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the intention of moving him inside to play guard or center. That was partially due to his arm length. The Packers also always prefer offensive linemen who can play multiple positions and Rhyan was no exception.

Unfortunately, Rhyan’s rookie season became a debacle. After struggling through training camp and the preseason, Rhyan spent his rookie year on the bench. He appeared in only one game and took just one snap on special teams as he made the adjustment from college to the NFL and from tackle to guard.

The season ended on a horrible note when he was suspended for the final six games of the season by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. He insisted it was an error and vowed to be better in 2023.

Rising Up

Rhyan did start to bounce back the following season. He played in 12 games but did not start any. By midseason, he was rotating in several series per game at right guard with starter Jon Runyan taking a seat for those series.

In 2024, Runyan left via free agency and Rhyan took over as the starting right guard. He started all 17 games for the team with mixed results. Rhyan’s strength was his run blocking because of his straight- ahead strength. His pass blocking graded out lower according to Pro Football Focus.

In 2025, Rhyan started the season as the starting right guard. He lost that job to former first-round pick Jordan Morgan in the first half of the season because of his inconsistent play. But when center Elgton Jenkins suffered a season-ending injury midway through the season, Rhyan stepped in and became the starting center. He started slowly, but his play improved as the season went on. By the end of the season, the Packers coaches were fairly confident in Rhyan’s ability to play center.

Rhyan’s contract expired after the 2025 season and most experts did not expect the Packers to bring him back. But they surprised everybody by signing Rhyan to a three-year, $33 million extension.

The new contract even surprised Rhyan. “Man, if you told me that I would be here with a second contract about a year ago, or even, you know, eight months, I would have said, yeah, you must have some crystal ball that I don’t know about,” he said.

The Wild Roller Coaster Career of Packers OL Sean Rhyan: What Lies Ahead

Rhyan enters training camp as the Packers starting center. He will face some competition from rookie fifth-round pick Jager Burton who looked impressive during OTAs and at mandatory minicamp.

The contract signed by Rhyan may be a three-year deal, but the way it’s structured, the Packers can easily walk away from the deal after this season without a substantial dead cap hit. That means that Rhyan will still have to prove himself with consistent play in 2026.

Rhyan’s career has been a roller coaster ride thus far. In four seasons, he’s been benched, suspended, a rising young player, a starter, benched again and then a starter again. This new contract gives him a chance to truly establish himself as a starter for the long term. The opportunity is there, now it’s up to Rhyan to take advantage of it.

 

 

 

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