Another Significant Contract.
The Green Bay Packers’ season has taken a huge turn for the better. After starting the season with a 3-6 record, the Packers have now gone on an incredible three-game winning streak to get back to.500 and continue their unlikely playoff run. The Packers will host the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
Last off-season, the Packers made it clear that they are serious about building for the future. Not only did they trade Aaron Rodgers, but they also declined to re-sign a number of veteran free agents. However, according to one report, there might be one veteran they decide to bring back.
According to a report, Green Bay Packers may be in a good position to re-sign star running back Aaron Jones.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic wrote on December 7 that he does not believe the Packers will release Jones during the off-season.
Jones has one year left on his deal after this season, and cutting him or trading him prior to June 1 would clear about $5 million of cap space. Also, Jones is just 29 years old, which is about 85 human years.
Would I keep Jones one more year, knowing how good he is when he’s healthy?
Yes, but I’m also not the GM. After all, Jones has been fully healthy through 12 games this year, and he’s played in 62 of 66 games over the past four seasons.
I don’t know how you just walk away from a player like Jones, who is such a valuable part of this organization, both on the field and off, after one injury-filled season.
It’s no secret that the Packers’ offense thrives when Jones touches the ball. After all, the Packers have gone 33-9 in games when Jones has 15 or more touches.
Jones has rushed 66 times this season for 245 yards, and he’s caught 19 of his 169 targets for 434 yards and three scores.
It makes perfect sense to give Jones another long-term deal while also utilizing a top-tier draft pick. That way, the Packers can continue to run the ball through Jones while developing another star.
It’s going to take some work to get the most out of Jones’ deal ($17M next season), but it’s possible that the Packers will have more cap room in the future.
