New Vikings RB Aaron Jones appears frustrated with Packers exit
The Vikings have reportedly addressed their running game woes from a season ago by signing former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones to a 1-year, $7 million deal, scooping up their former division rival a day after he was released by Green Bay.
Jones and the Packers were reportedly working on renegotiating his contract, but were unable to find a compromise, leading Green Bay to go in a different direction by signing former Las Vegas Raiders running back Josh Jacobs to a 4-year contract worth $48 million.
If Jones' likes on Twitter are any indication, he isn't too pleased with how everything came to an end for him in Green Bay.
“Front office and (Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst) looking REAL funny in the light (expletive) on one of the best RBs and human beings in team history. Yall can spin it how yall want..” read one post Jones liked.
Jones also liked a post from Zach Krause, the managing editor and writer for The Packers Wire that read: “Packers asked a star player and beloved person in the locker room to take MASSIVE pay cuts in back-to-back years because of a cap/contract situation of their own creation. Aaron Jones will get no hate or animosity from me.”
Jones, 29, was due about $12 million from the Packers for 2024 and had a salary cap number over $17 million, according to ESPN.
According to The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, the Packers’ final offer for Jones was a $6 million deal, with a $4 million base salary and $2 million in incentives. The Vikings, meanwhile, offered him a $6 million base salary with $1 million in incentives.
Aaron Jones contract details, per source:
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 12, 2024
Original GB deal: $11M base, $1M incentives
Final GB offer: Little less than $4M base, $2M incentives
Vikings: $6M base, $1M incentives
Jones wanted to retire in GB but didn't want to take another hometown discount of that magnitude.
The Packers instead signed Jacobs, who at 26 years old is three years younger than Jones. Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns in his five-year NFL career and won a rushing title in 2022 when he had 1,653 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. In 13 games in 2023, Jacobs rushed for 805 yards and six touchdowns.
Jones, meanwhile, has rushed for 5,940 yards and 45 touchdowns in seven NFL seasons. In 11 games last season, Jones rushed for 656 yards and two touchdowns, but he’s just one year removed from a career-high 1,121-yard rushing season in 2022.
Jones is certainly an upgrade for Minnesota at running back from Alexander Mattison, who struggled in his first year as a started in 2023, rushing for 700 yards and no touchdowns in 16 games while averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. The Vikings released Mattison this offseason.
And the Vikings certainly can't be too disappointed to sign a running back who almost certainly will have a chip on his shoulder when they face a division and arch-rival Packers team twice in the 2024 season.
😂💀 every story has 3 sides to it https://t.co/7APQl0ZZ4j
— Aaron Jones 3️⃣3️⃣ (@Showtyme_33) March 12, 2024
