Technically, the Green Bay Packers tried to keep running back Aaron Jones around. In practicality, though, the final offer the Packers reportedly made to the offensive piece made clear their intention to move on.

According to Matt Schneidman, Packers beat writer for The Athletic, Green Bay wanted to reduce Aaron Jones' base salary from $11 million to $4 million, elevating the incentives from $1 million to $2 million. After all, even if Jones had achieved every incentive on the deal, he would have earned half of what he was slated to make.

Aaron Jones contract details, per source:

Original GB deal: $11M base, $1M incentives

Final GB offer: Little less than $4M base, $2M incentives

Vikings: $6M base, $1M incentives

Jones wanted to retire in GB but didn't want to take another hometown discount of that magnitude.

— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 12, 2024

Last year, Jones had already accepted a paycut from $16 million to $11 million. This year, though, he didn’t want the same fate. So the Packers agreed to terms with Josh Jacobs on Monday and released him.

Less than a full day later, Aaron Jones signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings to stay in the NFC North.

Structure

When the Packers signed Aaron Jones to a four-year, $48 million contract back in 2021, his deal was always expected to bring issues after two years. He made $14.2 million in his first season because of the signing bonus, but then $5.75 million in 2022.

Last year, the contract would jump to a $16 million total salary. It was made to be an inflection point. However, the parties were able to find a middle ground.

This time around, though, the Packers weren’t so inclined to keep Jones around. In 2023, he played only 11 games because of hamstring and knee injuries, and as Jones is 29 years old, Green Bay’s front office wanted a more durable option.

Sure enough, a $4 million base salary in 2024 would have allowed the Packers to keep him as a backup running back behind Jacobs, and that would have potentially been the best duo in football. But Aaron Jones and agent Drew Rosenhaus thought the offer was too low.

On Friday, the agent made a final counteroffer to the Packers, but the team didn’t want it and took their own offer off the table, allowing it to chase a replacement in free agency.

Once Josh Jacobs accepted the Packers’ four-year, $48 million contract (curiously enough, the exact number Jones got in 2021), the team was ready to release Aaron Jones.

In Minnesota, Aaron Jones can make up to $7 million. It’s a $6 million base salary, plus $1 million available via incentives.

In seven seasons in Green Bay, Aaron Jones made $34.688 million. He became the third player in franchise history in total rushing yards (5,940), behind Ahman Green (8,322) and Jim Taylor (8,207).

Three reasons behind the Packers’ decision to move on from Aaron Jones to sign Josh Jacobs

Green Bay released Jones after seven seasons