Running back Aaron Jones might be one of the most important offensive pieces of the Green Bay Packers. But if the parties can't agree to an adjusted value, the team can end up releasing the player, according to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's reporter Tom Silverstein.

According to the initial report, the Packers want Jones to reduce his payment — even though later on, Silverstein went on Twitter to say that the idea is to reduce Jones' cap hit.

^{"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, and also meet what Jones thinks he would get as a free agent on the open market.}

^{If the two can’t reach agreement in the next two weeks, the Packers would release him and then hope whatever they are offering isn’t matched on the open market. If it wasn’t, they’d have a chance at re-signing him at their price."}

Jones is in the final season of the four-year extension he signed back in 2021. He's slated to make $12 million in 2024, which includes an $11.1 million base salary. Last year, Jones already took a $5 million paycut to stay with the Packers.

Also, those that are blowing up the line about them cutting him, I was pointing out how that was an option but not a likely one. It's an option with anyone who has a high cap number, but I would suspect they would do everything in their power not to do that.

— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 1, 2024

Why it's strange

Silverstein reported afterwards that the Packers are not necessarily demanding a paycut, but possibly a restructure is enough, just with the idea of reducing his cap hit.

Let me clarify the story I wrote on Aaron Jones. The #Packers met to try to reduce his salary cap number. I don't know that they're asking for a pay cut. I should have made that clear. It could be a restructure. The idea is to just get his cap number down. Sorry for the confusion

— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) March 1, 2024

But if the idea is merely opening up cap space, the Packers don't need Jones to sign anything. They can simply convert his base salary into a signing bonus, and as his contract already has three future void years, the move would open up $7.417 million. The problem is that there would be $14 million in dead money in 2025, when Jones is expected to hit free agency.

Risky move

It's not an easy move for the Packers. Even though Aaron Jones was hurt for a significant part of the season in 2023, he played pretty well down the stretch, being an important part of the team that reached the divisional round of the playoffs.

According to Silvertein, the Packers are not expected to re-sign AJ Dillon either, so the primary running back option would be Emanuel Wilson — who is an exclusive-rights free agent.

Aaron Jones has been in Green Bay since 2017, when he was drafted in the fifth round.

How the Packers can free up almost $60 million in cap space without cutting anyone

There are six moves left to be made