Green Bay Packers

The Packers’ Other Aaron Conundrum

Photo Credit: Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

After an eliminated yet spirited Detroit Lions team unexpectedly ended the Green Bay Packers’ season last Sunday, Green Bay is now staring down a momentous offseason. They will have to make challenging decisions on a trio of long-time franchise cornerstones, fill some pressing positional needs, and accomplish everything under the constraints of the salary cap, which promises to make its presence felt once again. Above all, yet another offseason of chatter and speculation surrounding Aaron Rodgers, their Hall of Fame starting quarterback since 2008. Retirement has come up more than a few times now. If he continues playing, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t have a heavy hand in controlling where exactly that would be, something he made sure of when structuring his contract last offseason.

Star left tackle David Bakhtiari has emerged as a cut candidate, as he’s struggled to get (and stay) on the field following a torn ACL in 2020. But perhaps the toughest looming decision regards running back Aaron Jones. Drafted in the fifth round back in 2017, Jones has been one of Green Bay’s most explosive playmakers in each of his five seasons, which earned him an unexpected second contract in Titletown. Although he continues to produce, rushing for a career-high 1,121 yards this season, the Packers designed the four-year, $48 million extension he signed in 2021 for him to be cut in the coming months.

The backloaded contract sees Jones’ cap hit jump from around $6 million in 2022 to just over $20 million in 2023, which is why ESPN’s Rob Demovsky characterized the deal as basically a two-year, $20 million contract that would “almost certainly have to be blown up by March.” Cutting Jones would save about $10 million in cap space and leave about $10 million in dead money, an enticing number for a team that has given almost half its carries to starter-in-waiting A.J. Dillon.

The decision is likely to be much more difficult than the front office anticipated when carving the contract out. Not only has Jones done what many former stars at his position failed to – given the Packers a surplus return on his second contract to this point – but he looked better than ever this season, taking the reins as the offense’s most explosive player following Davante Adams‘ departure. Luckily for Green Bay, Christian Watson seems well on his way to snatching that title. But as the passing game continued to struggle all the way through the final snap, it’s hard to imagine what Matt LaFleur’s unit will do without Jones, barring solid offseason additions.

Jones is also the Packers’ nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which recognizes a player’s above-and-beyond commitment to community and philanthropy. It’s hard to think of a player who is more universally adored by the fanbase and respected as a genuinely kind and infectious personality around the league. The only one that comes immediately to mind is Jamaal Williams, who needs no reintroduction.

In contrast to the Bakhtiari decision, in which cutting him would leave a mammoth-sized hole at one of the game’s most crucial positions, the trade-off between keeping and cutting Jones is limited by Dillon’s presence and the relative replaceability of running backs. The Packers may have a quarterback on a rookie contract, but it’s not in the cap-friendly way that’s led to an AFC playoff field in which Patrick Mahomes is the oldest signal-caller.

The Packers have a lot of needs and not a ton of cap space. Safety has emerged as a shortcoming, with Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford taking turns getting benched down the stretch. Tight end is probably looking at an overhaul. Another receiver is likely on the way if Allen Lazard’s postgame interview is any indication. And edge-rusher could be a need depending on Rashan Gary’s recovery.

All this to say, an economist would likely scoff at the notion of the Packers passing up their out and committing to what would basically be a two-year, $36 million deal for Jones, based on his upcoming cap hits. Given all the other problems left to tend to, Brian Gutekunst probably will too. If I’m in the front office, I’m exploring all avenues to keep him in Green Bay, where he reiterated is where he wants to be, at a price that doesn’t stifle the rest of the roster construction.

Regardless of the outcome, Jones has been an outstanding Green Bay Packer, and I doubt there’s a single person in Wisconsin who won’t wish him the best no matter what happens.

Green Bay Packers
Joe Milton III Would Be A Perfect Late-Round QB Pick For Green Bay
By Chris Callaway - Mar 28, 2024
Green Bay Packers
How Will the New Kickoff Rules Affect Keisean Nixon?
By Matt Hendershott - Mar 28, 2024
Green Bay Packers

Rashan Gary Is the Real Winner Of the Xavier McKinney Signing

Photo Credit: Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

There were many smiling faces in Green Bay when Xavier McKinney put pen to paper at 1265 Lombardi Ave. earlier this month, perhaps none bigger than the […]

Continue Reading