GREEN BAY – The Packers are just two days from the start of their 2026 season and there may be nobody in Green Bay's locker room more amped up than Sean Rhyan.
Six months ago today, the fifth-year veteran signed a new contract with the team that drafted him in the third round out of UCLA in 2022, and Rhyan's been champing at the bit ever since.
The extension not only was a life-changing moment but also solidified Rhyan as the Packers' starting center after years of rotating around the offensive line. Finally, he was home.
"I want to do really well at my position because this is the first year that I know this is my position," Rhyan said. "All that I worry about is my expectations and they're high. They're really high. I want to do well and I want us, as an O-line, to do really well because that reflects on all of us."
One of the Packers' primary objectives this offseason was to lock down Rhyan, who slid in at center during the second half of the 2025 and shined in relief of an injured Elgton Jenkins.
Prior to that, Rhyan was fighting for playing time at right guard. He rotated there with Jon Runyan late in 2023, started 18 games in 2024 after rookie Jordan Morgan suffered a season-altering shoulder injury and then rotated with him at the start of 2025.
Amidst all that, the former UCLA left tackle began taking more reps at center in case of emergency, which unfortunately happened when Jenkins broke his leg against Philadelphia last November.
Rhyan had been out of the starting lineup for five weeks at that point, hungry for a chance to show what he could do anywhere on the offensive line. He started the following week in New York and held the job the rest of the season.
"There were definitely some moments that were teachable moments and things he's learned from," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "I just think he's really grasped that position and taken charge in that room."
Back for the long haul, Rhyan was the constant on the offensive line during training camp while right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele and left guard Aaron Banks navigated lingering knee injuries.
Banks has been dealing with a tendinitis issue while Bako-Bewele missed the entire offseason program after undergoing surgery to repair a partially torn patellar tendon. Both have been limited in practice this week.
Banks could be a gametime decision for Sunday's opener against the Minnesota Vikings while Bako-Bewele told reporters this week he's "definitely gonna be out there." It'll be his first in-game action since injuring his knee last December in Denver.
"I'm not gonna sit here and lie and say it's been perfect," Bako-Bewele said. "There's been some ups and downs, but I think with where we're at right now, I think I'm about as ready as I can feel to play a game. Not gonna find out 'til we actually go out and play, but I feel good about where I'm at."
Regardless of Banks' availability, Sunday could shape up to be one of the steepest challenges the Packers' offensive line faces all season. U.S. Bank Stadium is notoriously loud, which can create communication issues for even the most experienced offensive lines.
Rhyan understands the crucial role he plays in that equation whether it's line calls, pre-snap adjustments or getting on the same page with quarterback Jordan Love.
Sometimes, you need to use your outdoor voice inside. Banks jokes about offensive linemen needing to throw in some cough drops to make sure their vocal cords are clear and ready.
"Believe it or not, it's weird how much you can hear," Rhyan said. "When you're looking for it, you can find it. It's kind of like in college, all these colleges go on the clap, even though they're at away games. Somehow you could still hear your quarterback's clap, even with all that crowd noise."
Further complicating the Vikings conundrum is the fact Minnesota boasts one of the NFL's most creative and unabashedly aggressive defenses.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores freely mixes up his front and willingly blitzes any Viking with a helmet. Minnesota finished third in total defense last year and second in sacks per passes attempted (10.96%). Sixteen players recorded at least one sack.
There were times on Sunday when the Packers will need to beat the blitz to beat the Vikings. In those instances, Rhyan knows it's up to him to be fully in sync with his quarterback. Love is confident he will be.
"He knows what he needs to do, he knows all the calls he needs to make," Love said. "You've just got to up your volume in away games, but Sean does a great job. He knows the offense inside and out, what he needs to call, and he's done a great job all camp with it. This will be our first test of being a real away environment and see."
As challenging as Sunday may be, these are the games Rhyan yearned for when he was fighting his way up the depth chart. Every play starts with the ball in his hand to give Love every second he needs to make plays down the field.
"I'm excited for Sunday," Rhyan said. "I'm juiced up to go to war with him. He's gonna (expletive) lead us there. I'm ready, man. I'm ready."
