The only offensive starter with an expiring contract for the Green Bay Packers is center Josh Myers, who just completed his fourth NFL season in 2024 and will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The 2021 second-round pick has been a starter at center — a pivotal position along the offensive line — during all four of his seasons in Green Bay and is still only 26 years old.

Will the Packers bring back Myers or seek an improvement at center this offseason?

Here are some reasons for and against re-signing Myers, and what we would do if we were the Packers this offseason:

Reasons for

— Myers is only 26 years old and has 56 career starts over four seasons. He’s what you want at any position — still young, entering their physical prime but also experienced at the NFL level.

— Do not underestimate the value of the quarterback-center connection as it relates to everything pre-snap. The center is vital for setting protections and helping the quarterback get everything right up front. Myers has been Jordan Love’s center for his entire professional career.

— The Packers love Myers as a leader of the offensive line. There are intangibles at play here that outsiders don’t get to see.

— Myers is tall for a center, but his athleticism and movement ability allows him to be an effective blocker on the move in Matt LaFleur’s scheme.

— The Packers still think Myers has center and guard versatility, and the team greatly values having players who can play more than one position, especially up front.

— Despite some unfortunate issues as a rookie, Myers has been durable and available. He’s played over 1,000 snaps in three straight seasons. He also avoided what appeared to be a serious lower leg injury in the postseason loss to the Eagles and should be fine entering the 2025.

— Myers was penalized only three times in 2024 and has only nine accepted penalties against him over the last three seasons.

— The Packers are somewhat lacking in depth along the offensive line, and losing Myers in free agency would only increase the need. The team might be hesitant to lose a starter after watching the offensive line crumble after losing Elgton Jenkins in the postseason loss in Philadelphia.

Reasons against

— Myers has four seasons of replacement level play at center. Last season, which many believed to be Myers’ best season, saw him rank 41st out of 43 qualifying centers in overall blocking grade at Pro Football Focus.

— The Packers need a more dominant offensive line to be title worthy in 2025, and improving at center must play a big part in becoming better up front.

— The free agent class is lacking in center options, so it’s possible Myers will be overpaid — maybe significantly — by the market. Jon Runyan Jr. got $10 million per season from the Giants. Do the Packers really want to pay a premium price to keep Myers?

— The Packers have other options at center. In fact, they have several, and a real chance to improve internally. Elgton Jenkins played snaps at center last season and has ample experience at the position. Sean Rhyan has been cross-trained at center and could slide over to the pivot in 2025.

Jacob Monk, a 2024 fifth-round pick, played center in college and will have a chance to make a second-year leap. And the Packers think Zach Tom — who has established himself as a top right tackle — could be a fantastic center, a position where he dominated in college.

Throw in the fact that 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan will likely need a starting spot on the offensive line in 2025, and subtracting Myers from the equation makes more and more sense.

— Myers is viewed as a quality pass-blocking center, but he allowed five sacks and 28 total pressures (tied for 25th) in 2023 and then gave up 31 pressures — the third most among centers — in 2024. This past season, Myers gave up at least one pressure in 16 of 18 games.

— Myers’ height — he’s 6-5 — often gets him in trouble against smaller, more powerful players in the leverage battle along the line of scrimmage.

— Myers has four straight seasons with a run-blocking grade under 60.0 at PFF. He’s been a big reason why the Packers have been inconsistent as a run-blocking offensive line over the past three seasons.

— PFF grades aren’t everything, but they help paint a picture. Myers had only one game with an overall blocking grade over 70.0 in 2024. This wasn’t an example of an inconsistent player flashing great things. This was a consistently below average player.

What I would do

No one wants to lose a second-round pick after a completed rookie contract, but it’s hard to argue Myers has earned a lucrative second contract in Green Bay. He’s been one of the worst starting centers in the NFL over the last three seasons and has lacked the substantial year-to-year improvement teams want to see out of young players.

The Packers have options to fill the center position, so losing Myers wouldn’t create a big roster hole. It’s well past time to force improvement at center, and letting Myers walk would give the Packers a chance to either improve internally or add from the outside.

Whether Myers is back or not, reinforcements for the offensive line are coming, either from free agency or (more likely) the draft.

The Packers need to let their versatility along the offensive line shine this summer — let the best man win at center. I wouldn’t have Myers — who is going to command a hefty deal — blocking that competition.