Last week, Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich squashed the idea of permanently moving Zach Tom to center in place of Josh Myers.
“Josh Myers is playing the best he’s played in his career,” said Stenavich. “I think he’s playing really well. So, I don’t think right now that is the best move for us because he is one of our best five players. Zach’s obviously playing well, as well, at tackle.”
The idea was presented after Tom replaced Myers for four snaps in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Denver Broncos. Myers exited the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, forcing the Packers to do some shuffling to their offensive line. Tom moved from his usual spot at right tackle to center, a position where he took reps during training camp and started 14 games at Wake Forest.
In those four snaps, Green Bay picked up 20 yards before kicking a field goal to cut to make it a 6-point deficit. Myers was back on the field the following series, but his brief absence left many wondering whether the offensive line needed a shakeup.
Instead, Stenavich praised Myers, which warranted a strong reaction from basically anyone who has watched him this season. The offensive line has struggled to find any consistency, with Myers being one of the main culprits. According to Pro Football Focus, Myers is rated 31 out of 40 centers with at least 100 offensive snaps.
However, Stenavich is not alone in how he feels about his center’s play through the first seven games. GM Brian Gutekunst echoed the sentiment while speaking with the media on Wednesday.
“I think Josh Myers is playing the best football since he’s been here. He’s playing very, very well,” Gutekunst said.
The stance on Myers from the coaching staff and the front office is puzzling, to say the least. Obviously, you want to have confidence in your players, but you also need to be realistic. And by all accounts, Myers hasn’t performed like a former second-round pick should in his third season.
PFF also disagrees that this has been Myers’ best season, as his offensive grade of 55.3 is actually the lowest of his career. In his defense, Myers has held up well in pass protection with a pass-blocking efficiency of 97.9. Run blocking, on the other hand, has been a problem area for Myers since he entered the league in 2021. Despite having over 700 run-blocking snaps under his belt, he is still liable to whiff an assignment and produce an embarrassing clip.
Josh Myers is playing the best he’s played in his career btw pic.twitter.com/eiP3lkYIYm
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) October 30, 2023
Despite all the frustration surrounding the offense and the line, it sounds like the only adjustment the Packers are considering is at left tackle. Meanwhile, the organization continues to applaud Myers, who is safely secure at his starting center spot.