Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones was able to get paid before the bottom fell out of the market at the position. This offseason, running back contracts were a major topic of discussion as players don’t feel like they are getting paid their worth.
Three stars, Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants, Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Tony Pollard of the Dallas Cowboys, had the franchise tag placed on them this offseason. None of the three were able to agree to long-term deals. Pollard signed the franchise tender, Barkley received a slight bump with incentives and Jacobs remains unsigned.
We have seen the relationship between Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts also deteriorate this offseason as he was eligible for an extension. No such feelings have arisen with the Packers, who were able to work out a restructured deal with their star running back, Aaron Jones.
Jones agreed to a pay cut earlier this offseason to help the Packers with their salary cap situation. The team was up against it and needed to free up money. Jones said he didn’t want to be greedy and that he wanted to be a team player to help out the franchise.
While he also made it a point to say that he is happy with the Packers, he did offer up his opinion on the situation with his peers. He firmly believes that running backs should be compensated for the impact that they have on the field.
“Running backs, the market, you definitely see it falling, and it’s something you don’t want to see as a back,” Jones said. “I don’t know how this happened or why this happened because backs are very valuable. They’ve got to know the protection and block, so do the same things that the O-line is doing. You got to know the pass game and sometimes lineup as a receiver and then you got to be able to run the ball. So, other than the quarterback, there isn’t too many people doing more than a running back.”
All of the things that Jones mentioned are asked of running backs are things that the Packers have asked of him. He is a true dual-threat, capable of making plays as a runner and receiver.
Since 2019, there isn’t a running back in the NFL other than Jones who has recorded at least 4,000 rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards. He has added 47 touchdowns over that span as well, which is third in the league. Jones produced and got paid and believes the same thing will happen to his peers.
“The lifespan of a back isn’t that long, so I feel like they should get their money when they can instead of them not trying to give us money. It’s a tough situation to be in, but as long as you continue to ball and do something good with the ball in your hands, I feel like you’ll get taken care of.”
Jones and the Packers have had a fruitful relationship, one that has lasted six seasons and counting. It sounds as if both parties would like it to continue, as Jones loves being in Green Bay and they love having him.
