Age holds no significance for Aaron Jones, as he is expected to remain with the Green Bay team for the foreseeable future.
Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst was direct when discussing the role of star running back Aaron Jones in the upcoming season. He anticipates Jones, who is 29 years old, to remain a significant presence on the team, regardless of the team’s performance. Despite significant changes to the roster last season, where experienced players like Allen Lazard, Adrian Amos, Marcedes Lewis, and Aaron Rodgers departed, Gutekunst is confident in Jones’ continuity with the team.
Despite a shift towards a younger roster, there were no indications of parting ways with Jones, and this decision seems justified. While Jones is the third-oldest player on the team after Preston Smith (31) and De’Vondre Campbell (30), it is believed that his peak performance is yet to come. If he can maintain the form he showed towards the end of the 2023 season, there is potential for even better performances in the upcoming season.
“I mean, of course, we would welcome Aaron Jones back, but we are still in the process of figuring out our next steps,” Gutekunst commented. “He made a significant impact when he played this season. The offense really clicked when he was on the field, and he brought about changes in our approach and performance.”
The Packers might need to adjust Jones’ contract to work within their salary cap constraints, but this is a familiar task for them. They have previously restructured his contract on several occasions, with the most recent adjustment being a reduction of around five million dollars last off-season.
Being undersized at 5’9″ and 208 pounds, the Packers have always prioritized keeping Jones healthy, even during the tenure of Mike McCarthy, the predecessor of Matt LaFleur. Jones’ playing time was somewhat limited in favor of Jamaal Williams, who was drafted by the Packers 48 picks ahead of Jones in 2017.
There have been instances where this dynamic repeated itself a few years later. The Packers have opted to give a significant number of Jones’ carries to AJ Dillon, a 2020 second-round selection from Boston College. Speculating whether this decision was influenced by draft position or a genuine belief in the need for Dillon’s 247-pound physique is a futile exercise. Nonetheless, the offense often lacked the same effectiveness without Jones on the field. Despite this, resting Jones was deemed necessary to keep him fresh.
Jones was sidelined for several games due to a hamstring injury sustained in the season-opening victory against the Chicago Bears on September 10. In a 35-yard catch-and-run play, he pulled up and clutched the back of his thigh upon entering the end zone. Between that game and the defeat to the Denver Broncos on October 22, he missed three games and only managed six touches in his sole appearance against the Detroit Lions on September 28.
His comeback was brief, as Jones rejoined the lineup for five games before spraining the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, marking his fifth such injury.
Gutekunst expressed the importance of keeping him healthy and on the field, noting Jones’ significant leadership role within the team. Despite initial doubts about his return and conflicting desires to develop a youthful roster, Jones’ impressive performances toward the end of the season likely dispelled any uncertainties. From a Christmas Eve triumph over the Carolina Panthers to the Divisional Round loss against the San Francisco 49ers, Jones achieved five consecutive 100-yard games, setting a new record for the franchise. Notably, he amassed 118 rushing yards and 131 scrimmage yards against the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card round, scoring three touchdowns in a dominant victory over the NFC’s second-seeded team.
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