Packers release RB Aaron Jones after failing to reach restructured deal
The Green Bay Packers will be shaking up their backfield in a massive way heading into the 2024 season. Soon after agreeing to terms with free agent running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers announced that the team will be releasing running back Aaron Jones. Jones and the Packers attempted to reach a restructured contract that […]
The Green Bay Packers will be shaking up their backfield in a massive way heading into the 2024 season.
Soon after agreeing to terms with free agent running back Josh Jacobs, the Packers announced that the team will be releasing running back Aaron Jones.
Jones and the Packers attempted to reach a restructured contract that would keep him in Green Bay alongside Jacobs, but the two sides were unable to come to an agreement. Now, Jones will enter the free agent market and will find a new home.
"We want to thank Aaron for his unwavering commitment to the Packers and the community over the past seven seasons," Packers' general manager Brian Gutekunst said via the team's official press release. "It is certainly one of the hardest decisions we've had to make in my time with the Packers and not one taken lightly. He has not only had a significant impact on the field and in the locker room, but he is one of the most beloved players in the community. We wish nothing but the best for Aaron and his entire family moving forward."
Jones has spent the last seven seasons with the Packers after being drafted in the fifth-round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Jones rushed for over 1,000 yards in three separate seasons and led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns in 2019. The dynamic back even earned Pro Bowl honors following the 2020 season.
The 29-year-old missed six games throughout the 2023 season due to injury but returned at a high level when it mattered most. After returning to the lineup in Week 15, Jones had 411 rushing yards over the final four regular season games. In the Packers' Wild Card round win over the Dallas Cowboys, Jones scored three touchdowns and had over 120 scrimmage yards.
Jones finishes his career in Green Bay as the franchise’s third all time leading rusher with 5,940 yards and with the fourth-most rushing TDs (45). He also had the third-most 100-yard rushing games (20) in Packers' history.
"Today is a tough day for the Packers and our community. As good of a player as Aaron is on the field, he is an even better person," Packers' head coach Matt LaFleur said. "When I arrived in Green Bay as a first-time head coach, he was instrumental in establishing our winning culture and always served as the greatest example of what it meant to be a Packer. Aaron will always be one of the best players I had the opportunity to coach."
Jones quickly became a fan-favorite during his time in Green Bay and showed his loyalty after agreeing to a 4 year, $48 million contract extension in 2021. Three years later, the Packers look to go a different direction with a younger running back. After his release, the Packers will save $5.2 million in cap space.
The Packers also moved on from former All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari and are expected to lose running back A.J. Dillon in free agency. The rumored expected teams interested in Jones on the open market include the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, and the Miami Dolphins.
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