The Green Bay Packers did not have a great start to the 2023 NFL season. After a stunning showing in Week One over the Chicago Bears, Jordan Love and the offense embarked on a journey of growth and building chemistry that was anything but smooth. They blew a fourth quarter lead in Week Two to the Atlanta Falcons, needed a miraculous 18-point fourth quarter in Week Three against the New Orleans Saints to win by one point, and then embarked on a brutal four-game losing streak.
At 2-5, many had written off the Packers, and some were ready to move on from Love. But then the team went and rattled of seven wins in their final ten games, clinching the final NFC Playoff spot and upsetting the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round.
In the above video, Packers running back Aaron Jones is a guest on the Rich Eisen Show where he talks about his dominating game against the Cowboys.
Green Bay Packers Running Back Aaron Jones Set a Franchise Record in Final Five Games
Jones had a great Week One versus the Bears, putting up 127 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns. However, he strained his hamstring in the fourth quarter of that game and three of the next four games. When he did come back, it was clear that he was still rather limited in what he could do.
Unfortunately, in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Jones suffered a sprained MCL that sidelined him for three more games. And when he came back against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 15, he had just 53 yards on 13 carries as Green Bay lost to fall to 6-8 on the season.
But then, something clicked on offense. While Love and the receiving game ran like a well-oiled machine in the final three weeks of the regular season, Jones reminded everyone why he is such a valuable player on the field. He finished the regular season with three-straight 100-yard rushing games and then added two more in the NFL Playoffs.
Jones was the first Packers running back ever to run for over 100 yards in five straight games.
Green Bay Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst Wants Aaron Jones Back in 2024
Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Back on February 1, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said in a press conference, “Yes, absolutely, We would love to have Aaron Jones back next year.”
He said, though, that he and his team would be working with Jones and his agent in the coming months to get the financials straightened out.
In 2024, Jones has a salary cap hit of $17.5 million. However, he has a dead cap hit of $12.3 million, which means Green Bay could save over $5 million by cutting him. And while that did not seem to be on the table a month ago, a new report says that it is.
A New Report States that the Green Bay Packers Could Cut Aaron Jones in Two Weeks
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
“According to a source, the Packers and agent Drew Rosenhaus are trying to get to a number that would satisfy the team’s desire to lower his salary cap number. How they would reduce the salary cap number remains to be seen and be part of future discussions.
“The bottom line is that they want him back.
“If the two can’t reach agreement in the next two weeks, the Packers could release him and then hope whatever they are offering isn’t matched on the open market. But they would risk losing him to another team, so they will have to work with Rosenhaus to find a way to negotiate a cap reduction.”
Now, the most important thing in this report is that second paragraph, the one that is just a single sentence long: “The bottom line is that they want him back.”
There are any number of ways Green Bay could reduce Jones’ hit, but it is the notion that he could be cut that drew the alarm of Packers fans on social media:
Pay Aaron Jones whatever the hell that man wants.
*crawls back into hole*
— Dani (@daniinthesnow) March 2, 2024
If there is any player that needs to be a Packer for life, it’s Aaron Jones.
— Tom Grossi (@tomgrossicomedy) March 1, 2024
Aaron Jones isn’t going anywhere.
— Matt Ramage (@mattramage) March 1, 2024
Aaron Jones will be a Packer in 2024.
I have no reports
I have 0 inside information
I have bad food takesBut I will be shocked if Jones isn’t on the team this season. The Packers want Jones. He wants the Packers. They’ll get it figured out.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) March 1, 2024
I’m supposed to believe the Packers won’t find a way to make it work with Aaron Jones when they’ve found a way every single year for the last like 5 seasons? TUH! Wake me up when there’s a real problem!!
— sam. (@sammwichh) March 1, 2024
I really don’t care what it costs, the #Packers can’t let Aaron Jones go…
Can’t believe I’m even typing this. https://t.co/pfOocGrqN8
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) March 1, 2024
Craig Counsell if the Packers cut Aaron Jones pic.twitter.com/UhCeCtEQcy
— Robin Adams (@theotherRobin19) March 1, 2024
Perhaps not surprisingly (because of how beloved Jones is), the news that he could be cut drew a much bigger reaction from the other major bombshell in Silverstein’s report: the Packers are not likely to bring back AJ Dillon.
The fact that Dillon is likely gone only improves the chances that Green Bay brings Jones back. Either way, they will probably look to the 2024 NFL Draft for their Jones’ successor, but it sure would be nice to have the franchise’s third all-time leading rusher on the roster to show him the ropes.
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