Packers rookie G Sean Rhyan to serve 6 games for PED suspension

The Green Bay Packers announced on Friday that their rookie guard Sean Rhyan has been suspended for the next six games without pay due to a violation of the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy. That six-game suspension with six games left extends through the end of the regular season, which means Rhyan’s action (and paychecks) is likely over for the year.

Rhyan’s camp has yet to make a statement or say that they will appeal the suspension. Until then, Rhyan, officially, is not on the team’s active roster, bringing Green Bay down to a 52-man squad.

Yesterday, the Packers waived running back Patrick Taylor to claim outside linebacker Justin Hollins off of waivers. It’s possible that Taylor, now that the team has an open roster spot, could rejoin the 53-man roster. Another possibility is that the team uses the roster spot for either outside linebacker Tipa Galeai (ankle) or tackle Caleb Jones (illness), two players who are currently practicing with the Packers after being designated to return from injury lists.

Rhyan has had a tough rookie season. In training camp, he was unable to press either Royce Newman or Jake Hanson for playing time as an interior lineman. Despite being a third-round pick, fourth-round rookie Zach Tom quickly jumped him on the depth chart, too.

While Rhyan has been active for games, he hasn’t seen the field this season. He’s been unable to record a single snap in the regular season on the offensive side of the ball and has only played a single special teams snap in 2022, per Pro Football Reference. For perspective, the Packers have played eight different offensive linemen on offense this year.

Assuming that David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr., and Yosh Nijman (left to right) remain the starters on the offensive line, that leaves Tom, Newman, Rasheed Walker and Luke Tenuta as Green Bay’s reserve offensive linemen for the rest of the season. Like Rhyan, Walker and Tenuta have also not contributed to the 2022 regular season.