Aaron Jones is one of the most electrifying weapons on the Green Bay Packers offense. There has been a lot of speculation regarding Jones’ return in 2023. Aaron Jones himself has said he would love to stay in Green Bay. The contract situation will be what the Packers and Jones must navigate to keep him in Green Bay. He is currently set to have more than a $20 million cap hit in 2023. A very popular Packers social media page shared an article stating the Packers should move on from the star running back, and Aaron Jones responded.
Aaron Jones Responds To Cheese Head TV’s Article Saying Packers Should Move On
Specifically, the article was titled “Three Reasons The Packers Should Cut Ties With Aaron Jones.” When Aaron Jones saw this, he retweeted the article with a response of his own:
Damn this one hurts cause I LOVED y'all's Twitter page 🥶 https://t.co/hbpL6pJiA4
— Aaron Jones 3️⃣3️⃣ (@Showtyme_33) January 20, 2023
Damn this one hurts cause I LOVED y’all’s Twitter page
Contract: The Packers are hurting financially, but that’s no reason to simply cut stars. However, there’s a value proposition that comes into play. Right now, Aaron Jones has the largest running back cap hit in the NFL… ever… by a long way.
Position: Running backs simply aren’t the big deal they used to be. They take a beating, they burn out earlier in their career than almost any other position, and they aren’t featured, players.
Age: This is the most obvious of the three. Aaron Jones turns 29 this year. He’s at the age where running backs just fall off.
The contract will likely be restructured. Brian Gutekunst has made it clear he wants Jones back in 2023. It is pretty obvious they won’t be able to afford the $20 million cap hit for a running back and both sides know this. As far as the position goes, the Packers were clearly better in 2023 when the offense was running through Aaron Jones. Jones had the second highest yards per carry in the entire NFL in 2022 with 5.3 yards per carry. It should be noted that the only player who had a higher yards per carry (Khalil Herbert of the Chicago Bears had 5.7 yards per carry) had 84 less attempts in 2022.
The age of Aaron Jones will be a bit of a concern in a few years, the 30th birthday seems to be problematic in the NFL. The last running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season over the age of 30 was Adrian Peterson with Washington in 2018. Since 2014, it has only happened three times. Frank Gore twice (2014 and 2016) as well as the previously mentioned Adrian Peterson in 2018. Either way, with the production Aaron Jones contributes to the Packers’ offense can’t be ignored. To move on from the most explosive weapons on the Packers’ offense while the Aaron Rodgers Super Bowl window is still open, would be a massive mistake.
How Will They Make The Money Work?
This seems likely to be a contract restructuring. Jones has expressed his desire to stay in Green Bay and may be open to restructuring to make it happen. If not, the Packers will take a little bit of a cap hit. Ultimately, every Packers’ decision will revolve around whether Aaron Rodgers is back next season. Rodgers has said that he will not hold the team hostage but the cap situation is much different if he is not there next season.
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2 Comments
The Packers should move on from a lot of players. They have too much money tied up in a handful. It’s unsustainable.
This is one stock holding fan who does not agree. If there is an option to keep Aaron Jones and most of the players, then that should be priority one of the head office. As far as the coaching staff, someone needs to shake the tree especially on defense. But, you can tip toe around it. It comes.doqn to this: the losing season is on LaFluer. Blame the players? Poor leaders do that. And, I am not sure why the losing early season strategy was used as long as it was. LaFluer’s weakness is backing a losing defensive coach. Don’t forget that Pettine was also held on way, way too long. NFL= Not For Long. A top tier coach would change the spirit and record of next year’s team. It isn’t a money dilemma. It’s a coaching one.