Packers Trade One ‘Heartbeat’ for Another

Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst talked about Aaron Jones and Josh Jacobs on Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting.

Josh Jacobs vs. the Packers in 2023. / Cooper Neill/GettyImages

GREEN BAY, Wis. – “He’s just really the heartbeat of our team.” That’s how Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst described running back Aaron Jones at his season-ending news conference.

On Monday at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, Fla., Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce called Josh Jacobs – Jones’ replacement in Green Bay – the “heartbeat” of his team, as well.

“Don’t like to see it,” Pierce told reporters. “I made it known [that he was] the heartbeat, a Raider through and through. But, as we all know, it’s a business.

“You hear that line, ‘Money talks, BS walks,’ right? And he had to do what’s best for him and his family and I wish him the best, but that one hurt.”

On Day 1 of NFL free agency earlier this month, Gutekunst – unable to reach an agreement on a revised contract with Jones – pivoted to Jacobs.

“Every year when you go into your free-agency meetings, you’re studying all these guys and understanding what players are available,” Gutekunst told reporters on Monday. “You’re monitoring that but franchise tag, transition tags, guys re-sign. To be real honest, not until we got down to a certain point with Aaron that we realized that this might be more problematic than we thought that we turned our attention to maybe studying those guys and seeing if that was going to be an opportunity or not.”

Jacobs, having reached the playoffs just once in five seasons with the Raiders, pounced on the opportunity to join the rising Packers. He signed a four-year deal worth $48 million. His low Year 1 cap charge was almost entirely funded by the cap savings from releasing Jones.

While a completely different style, Jacobs and Jones are three-down backs. Jacobs, the 2022 NFL rushing champion, is a workhorse runner and adept receiver. At age 26, he’s almost four years younger than Jones.

“Up until that Monday, you don’t really have an idea of whether they’re going to be re-signed or if they were tagged,” Gutekunst said. “You don’t really know, but you’re certainly studying those things. But you don’t have any idea until Monday what’s going to be able to be accomplished and what’s not.

“We never take anything off the table, even with Aaron. It wasn’t something as we went through Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday not really understanding how that’s going to unfold, but once we got into Monday afternoon and we realized there was going to be an opportunity to sign a player like Josh, that was something I didn’t feel we could pass up.”

After playing about one-third of the snaps during an injury-plagued 2023 season, Jones was due a base salary of $11.1 million in 2024.

That was too much for Gutekunst. Jones couldn’t stay on the field for a big chunk of the season, slowed by a hamstring injury through the first several games before missing three games with a knee injury. But it was vintage Jones down the stretch as he carried the team for its playoff run. He topped 100 rushing yards in the final three regular-season games, then did it again in the playoff win at Dallas and playoff loss at San Francisco.

With that sort of effectiveness, Jones’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, bet that he could get Jones a bigger contract somewhere else than what the Packers were offering.

Jones wound up with a one-year, $7 million contract with the rival Minnesota Vikings. It’s fully guaranteed.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a surprise,” Gutekunst said. “He’s got a great agent to work with. We were working towards that solution. But, sometimes, things just don’t work out. Don’t blame him at all. He’s always done right by us and it was one of those tough moments, but it was a necessary one for us.”

Whether it was Matt LaFleur or Mike McCarthy, the Packers made a point to limit Jones’ touches so he’d be fresh for the stretch run. Though AJ Dillon was re-signed to help share the load, there might be no such restrictions for Jacobs. The 223-pounder has averaged 625 snaps and 300 touches per season, even with a somewhat limited rep count as a rookie and an injury that sidelined him for the final four games of last season.

Jones’ seven-year average was 482 snaps and 207 touches.

“Obviously, he’s a very proven back,” Gutekunst said of Jacobs. “He runs with a lot of violence, explosiveness. He’s a bigger back, a durable back for the most part. He’s really a guy who can flourish in all phases as a runner, as a blocker and, certainly, as a pass catcher. Really excited, not only to have the player but the person added to our football team.”

Related Story: What's Next at Running Back

Former Packers RB Aaron Jones vs. the Vikings; next year, it will be Aaron Jones with the Vikings. / Stephen Maturen/GettyImages

The Packers have Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon atop their running back depth chart. Could they be looking for a change-of-pace back with one of their Day 2 picks?