The Green Bay Packers entered the offseason with a few main priorities, but high at the top was finding a way to re-sign star running back Aaron Jones. At one point, many fans and media members thought that Jones was bound to head elsewhere. When everything was said and done, however, the Packers came to terms on a four-year, $48 million contract with Jones.
Jones has been an integral part of the Green Bay offense over the last couple of years. He fits perfectly into Matt LaFleur’s offense and takes a ton of pressure off of the passing game.
Looking ahead to the upcoming 2021 NFL season, Jones is expected to have yet another big season. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t play for the Packers, Jones will be relied on even more.
ESPN has released their projections for Jones for the upcoming season. They have him carrying the football 206 times for 1,003 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging out to an impressive 4.9 yards per carry. In addition to his rushing numbers, they have Jones catching 57 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns.
Last season, the Packers saw Jones rack up 1,104 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 201 carries. He also caught 47 passes for 355 yards and two touchdowns.
Green Bay will need Jones more than ever this season. Even if Rodgers does come back and play, the Packers cannot expect him to have another season like he had in 2020. He’s always going to put up superstar numbers, but he played at an unreal level last year.
At 26 years of age, Jones still has some room to grow as a dual-threat running back. He can get better as a receiver and he could end up with more carries this season than last year due to the departure of Jamaal Williams. However, the Packers also have second-year running back AJ Dillon who will take up a good number of carries.
All of that being said, Aaron Jones is going to have another big and successful season for the Packers in 2021. He got a big pay-day this offseason that was much deserved. Things are going well for Jones and they will continue going well moving forward.
