According to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinal article, the Green Bay Packers visited with the agents of star running back Aaron Jones
during the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis in an attempt to modify his contract and reduce his cap number.
The 29-year-old Jones will count $11 million against the cap this season; the Packers would prefer to see this amount drastically
reduced, especially since quarterback Jordan Love is expected to receive a huge contract deal this offseason.
“The Packers would release him and then hope whatever they are offering isn’t matched on the open market,” Tom Silverstein said, if
the two are unable to come to an agreement in the next two weeks. They would have the opportunity to re-sign him at their terms if it
wasn’t.
If Jones is released by the Packers
In addition to earning a $11 million base salary in the last year of a four-year contract he signed with the Packers back in 2021, Jones is
expected to count $17.5 million against the cap this next season.
Why Aaron Jones and the Packers Could Play Hard Ball
There is some power that general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers have over Jones, particularly considering the abundance
of free agency running backs that Jones would be joining if he were released by Green Bay.
Among this year’s free-agent running backs, Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Austin Ekeler, and D’Andre Swift are major
star players. Whether Jones might earn one of the best contracts available is still up in the air, especially after a season in which he
struggled with
As Spotrac notes, Jones’ anticipated contract is estimated to be approximately $5.1 million for a year, which is significantly less than
his market value.
Given its apparent bargaining power, Green Bay is probably going to favor allocating a significant portion of Jones’ existing contract
space to higher-profile roles on the team.
Cap Increase Gives Packers Some Room to Breathe
One of the greatest beneficiaries of the salary cap increase is the Packers, who may be able to afford Gutekunst to be a little more
aggressive when free agency commences.
When asked about the rising salary cap by reporters at the NFL Combine, Gutekunst responded, “It gives us some more flexibility.”
But in my opinion, what matters most is the choices we make going forward regarding our and
“This kind of solidifies what I said before—that nothing would stop us from pursuing players or carrying out our desired actions.”
Love expressed a great deal of hope about the Packers’ future, saying that they intend to make significant progress in 2024 after
making it back to the NFL Playoffs and the NFC Divisional Playoffs the previous season.
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