Aaron Jones is already showing the Vikings why he was so valuable to the Packers, even if they cut him
Make no mistake about it: Aaron Jones will be a Packer forever, even if he did go to the dark side after six years in Green Bay.It's not just because of what he did on the field and the fact that he's the team's second all-time leading rusher in rushing yards (5,940), rushing touchdowns (45), […]
Make no mistake about it: Aaron Jones will be a Packer forever, even if he did go to the dark side after six years in Green Bay.
It's not just because of what he did on the field and the fact that he's the team's second all-time leading rusher in rushing yards (5,940), rushing touchdowns (45), and yards from scrimmage (8,016), either. The guy was a tremendous teammate and the shining example of what anyone wants an NFL player to be off the field.
In other words: Jones meant more to Green Bay than just football.
Unsurprisingly, he's already making a huge impression on this new teammates in the Minnesota Vikings. And, just like in Green Bay, it's not just what he's doing on the field – it's what he's doing in all-around fashion.
"I knew what kind of person he was just from my context [in] the football ops guy that was still there [at UTEP]," Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips told reporters after an OTA session. "When he went to school there, [I] had heard about just what a phenomenal human being he was. And then obviously, the playmaking ability on the field.
"He can pass protect, he can run routes out of the backfield and he can obviously run the football so [he's a] really big pickup for us."
Jones made Phillips' words come to life during Tuesday's workouts. He caught a highlight reel-worthy, diving touchdown over second-year linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. that easily caught the attention of every watching the play.
"I don't know if ya'll saw yesterday, but he had a little 'Go' ball and they had him outside, out wide. He made a good release, through his hand up, caught and scored," Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison told reporters on Wednesday. "That's what he can do: He can catch the ball out of the backfield, he's really explosive, and he can make people miss. It's gonna be fun to see."
The Packers' new running back trio in Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon, and Marshawn Lloyd represent a fearsome trio, however, and that doesn't even include promising, former undrafted free agent, Emanuel Wilson. ,
Even though Jones will be missed, the Packers are still in a good spot. The only prevailing thought moving forward is Jones just so happens to have his worst games of the year when he lines up against his former teammates.
