One of the busiest days involving starting running backs in the position’s history, Monday may feature another move. At least, one appears in play.
The Vikings are interested in longtime Packers RB Aaron Jones, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Matt Schneidman report. This would be an interesting fit, as Minnesota moved on from its 2017 RB draftee — Dalvin Cook — last year. The Vikings also moved on from their Cook replacement option, Alexander Mattison, creating some uncertainty atop the depth chart.
Green Bay attempted to retain Jones, but Schneidman indicates that came with a significant pay-cut offer. The Packers wanted Jones to reduce his salary by at least 50%. Jones passed, but the Packers gave Josh Jacobs the same $12MM-AAV accord they once gave Jones (back in 2021). Jones declined the Packers’ final offer Friday, leading to today’s release.
The Vikings are certainly familiar with Jones, having played against the fifth-round success story a number of times since his 2017 debut. Jones joined Cook as one of this era’s most productive backs, being a better option through the air.
Jones battled through knee and hamstring injuries last season but delivered for the Pack down the stretch. The 29-year-old back ripped off five straight 100-yard rushing games to both secure Green Bay playoff entry and then power the team to the precipice of the NFC title game. Although Packers GM Brian Gutekunst expected Jones to be back for an eighth season in Wisconsin, the pay-cut attempt led to a separation.
Ty Chandler remains on the Vikings’ roster; two seasons are left on the end-of-season starter’s rookie contract. Many teams also filled their RB slots today, with the likes of Jacobs, Saquon Barkley, D’Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, Devin Singletary, Antonio Gibson and Austin Ekeler finding homes. Jones showed in January he remains a high-end talent, but he will turn 30 before next season ends. His next contract, despite what Jacobs and Barkley fetched today, will not approach the four-year, $48MM Packers pact he once signed.
But it would still obviously be interesting if the longtime Packer starter landed in Minnesota and enjoyed the opportunity to face his former team twice in 2024.
GOOD GOD MAN, DON’T DO IT! YOU HAVE YOUR WHOLE LIFE AHEAD OF YOU, AND I ASSUME YOU WANT ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP!
He should sign with Texans.
u have to win a championship to be able to win another dumb cheesehead
see?! this guy gets it! ain’t happenin in Minnesota, my guy!
Please no. Anywhere but Minnesota
Ahhh! It makes a little more sense now since Jacobs is not an upgrade from Jones.
Jacobs is absolutely an upgrade. His upside is much higher, Jones will also be 30 next year.
Typical purple poo eaters. Always coming for the Packers scraps.
Don’t think Aaron Jones is a scrap. And Packers sign ex Vikings too! Letroy Guion, Eric Wilson, Koren Robinson just some that come to mind.
does anyone else remember when Beavis and Butthead wanted to cheat on a test, so they copied each other’s answers? that’s how this sounds.
Why so sad?
@mnnorthernjuice Letroy Guion??? You can’t be serious. Robinson was with the Vikings one year and Wilson is a special teams guy. The point is the Vikings pick up the Packers scraps as in the twilight of their careers is with the Vikings when they are washed or at best not their prime. There is literally an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to all the ex-Packers the Vikings picked up. Here is a non-exhaustive list:
Brett Favre Dean Lowry Darren Sharper
Greg Jennings DuJuan Harris Brandon Bostick (onside fumble guy)
Robert Ferguson Ryan Longwell Paul Coffman
Za’Darius Smith Carroll Dale Datone Jones
Chandon Sullivan Desmond Bishop Bryce Paup
Jan Stenerud Bucky Scribner Mossy Cade (post-assault I might add)
Ed Donatell Mike Pettine Darrell Bevell
vs Letroy Guion and Eric Wilson. I mean, it’s almost an embarrassment for your franchise at this point. And this isn’t a recent thing, it’s been happening since the 70s.
Maybe if the Vikings were more concerned with actually putting a team together that wins games they wouldn’t have to keep trying to pick up the Packers retreads.
If they don’t get Aaron Jones I am willing to bet my life savings they’ll sign AJ Dillon to like a 2-year, $5 million deal or something like that. It isn’t a Vikings offseason unless they pick up an ex-Packers player or coach or video coordinator or box office manager. Hopefully for everyone’s sake when they fire Kwesi at the end of the year, they will pick up a GM who doesn’t try to troll the Packers for a living and tries to actually build a winning team.
Wait….Sam Darnold.
Texans
3 relatively insignificant players in the last 20 years isn’t exactly a trend.
“Offered” a pay cut? That wording just sounds slightly…I don’t know, off, somehow.
Makes GB sound so generous doesn’t it?
Absolutely none of this makes sense. He took “paycuts” 2 years in a row to help out GB (after they pushed a contract to him everyone knew was a series of 1 year commitments).
They attempt to convince him to do it again, because the cap hit will be so high (which is what you get by repeatedly reworking deals..), and he finally says NO.
They attempt other negotiations (as I understand it-including an extension, and can’t find common ground.
They release him, in what we’re supposed to see as a cost savings move..only it adds over $12M of dead money to their cap, AND they immediately replace him with a guy they give a 4/$48M deal to.
I have not seen the breakdown of annual cap hits, but even if the ’24 number is low, it just means they’ll be repeating what they did with Jones. Plus, I believe their other big signing, McKinney, will have a $25M number THIS year.
And near as I can tell, since I haven’t seen many Raiders games, the only advantage Jacobs has over Jones is age.