The Green Bay Packers and Aaron Jones have reached an agreement that will keep the running back in Green Bay. ESPN reports Jones will sign a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers.
It reportedly includes a $13 million signing bonus. More than perhaps any other position, there’s heated debate over how much running backs are worth. On social media, the deal drew both questions and support. Jones, who will become one of the NFL’s highest paid running backs, is popular with fans for his work on and off the field.
On Instagram, Jones told his followers he’s happy to keep playing in the place where he started his career. The Packers drafted Jones in 2017.
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Newly re-signed Packers RB Aaron Jones is live on Instagram right now: “I’m just glad I could keep playing where I started my career.” pic.twitter.com/aCsazCqsRG
— Olivia Reiner (@ReinerOlivia) March 14, 2021
Jones ran for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. Last year, he finished fourth in the league for rushing yards, despite teammates Jamaal Williams and AJ Dillon accounting for 165 attempts.
No team scored more points in the regular season than Green Bay.
Going into this offseason there was speculation the Packers might not be able to afford Jones. The team didn’t place a franchise tag on him last week. The move would have guaranteed that Jones would spend at least one more year in Green Bay.
The NFL salary cap is determined by league revenue, which dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The cap for the upcoming season is down 8 percent from last year putting many teams, including the Packers, in a tricky spot.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has restructured several deals to free up cap space, including those of linebacker Preston Smith and safety Adrian Amos.
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