Green Bay Packers star agrees to join NFC North rival after being released
Aaron Jones is set to leave the Green Bay Packers for their NFC North rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. According to NFL Network, he will sign a one-year contract worth $7 million.
In a surprising move, the Packers have agreed to a four-year deal worth $48 million with Josh Jacobs, another running back. Jacobs, 26, has spent the first five years of his career with the Raiders, achieving over 1,000 yards in three out of his five seasons.
Jones was a favourite among Packers fans and a leader in the locker room. At the end of the 2023 season, Packers GM Brian Gutekunst described him as the team's "heartbeat."
Gutekunst said: "Yeah, absolutely, we'd love to have Aaron back," adding that they were still figuring out how to move forward. He praised Jones for being a game-changer when he played this year.
Despite the Packers' clear interest in keeping Jones for the 2024 season, they couldn't agree on a new contract. The star player had a salary cap hit of $17.575 million with a base salary of $11.1 million this year.
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After taking a $5 million pay cut last year, the Packers hoped he would be willing to take another significant reduction.
Once Jones made it clear he wasn't willing to take another big pay cut, the Packers decided to let him go on Monday. The very next day, he agreed to join the Vikings, who were offering about $1 million more than Green Bay's final offer.
Jones leaves Green Bay as one of the best running backs in the team's history. Among Packers halfbacks, he's third in rushing yards (5,940), and fourth in both rushing touchdowns (45) and rushing attempts (1,177).
The Vikings, on the other hand, get a much-needed boost to their running game, which was 29th last season in rush yards (1,553). When he's been able to stay fit, Jones has shown he's one of the most efficient backs in the league, racking up at least 1,100 scrimmage yards and seven total touchdowns in four straight seasons from 2019-2022.
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Aaron Jones has left the Green Bay Packers (Ryan Kang/Getty Images)Jones joins a growing list of longtime Packers who eventually moved to Minnesota. Other notable players who joined the Vikings include wide receiver Greg Jennings, quarterback Brett Favre, safety Darren Sharper and defensive end Za'Darius Smith.
Now with the Vikings, Jones will play against his old team twice in 2024. In six previous games at U.S. Bank Stadium, he's had 94 carries for 502 yards and four touchdowns.
The Packers have been busy in the free agency, securing a four-year, £68 million contract with former Giants safety Xavier McKinney. Meanwhile, after losing quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons, the Vikings may have found his successor in Sam Darnold, who they're tipped to sign for around £10 million.
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