Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is coming off of a fantastic debut season as the Packers’ full-time starting quarterback, and running back Aaron Jones was a big reason why.
Unfortunately for Love, the Packers released Jones earlier this offseason, and he went on to sign with the division rival Minnesota Vikings.
Of course, Green Bay didn’t just cut Jones for no reason. It did sign star halfback Josh Jacobs in free agency, which made Jones expendable.
However, it was still a difficult realization for Love to accept.
“Yeah, it was very tough,” Love told reporters, via the Packers’ official team website. “Aaron Jones is such a special player. Special guy in this locker room since I’ve been here. Everyone loved Aaron, and it was very tough. It was one of those things that you can’t control.”
Jones didn’t get off to a very good start in 2023, as injuries inhibited him early on. But he was magnificent down the stretch, rattling off five straight 100-yard performances between the last three games of the regular season and Green Bay’s two playoff games.
His high-yardage mark for the year came in Week 16, when he racked up 127 yards on the ground. His best game overall, though, came in the Packers’ Wild Card Round playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys, when Jones logged 118 yards and three touchdowns as a rusher.
On the season overall, the 29-year-old rushed for 656 yards yards and a couple of scores while averaging 4.6 yards per carry. He missed six games.
Jones, who played his collegiate football at UTEP, was selected by Green Bay in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He immediately displayed his efficiency, posting 5.5 yards per attempt in each of his first two seasons. Then, in 2019, Jones recorded 1,084 yards while leading the league with 16 rushing touchdowns. He made his first and only trip to the Pro Bowl in 2020 after finishing with 1,104 yards and nine scores on the ground, tallying a robust 5.5 yards per tote once again.
Jones totaled 1,000 yards rushing three times for the Packers and owns a lifetime average of five yards per carry. He also served Green Bay well as a receiver out of the backfield, registering over 50 catches twice.
The Savannah, Ga. native will certainly be missed by Jordan Love in the tundra, although Jacobs is probably an upgrade at this stage of their careers.
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