The Packers were one of the major players in the free agent RB carousel. The team couldn’t convince Aaron Jones to take a pay cut, leading to the veteran’s release. The Packers quickly scooped up former Raiders star Josh Jacobs as Jones’ replacement, completely revamping the top of their depth chart.
While it seemed likely that the Packers would approach Jones about a reduced salary, there weren’t many people who anticipated the Packers pivoting to a different star running back. That includes head coach Matt LaFleur, who admitted to reporters this week that he was caught “off guard” by the sudden moves.
“There were some other things in play, obviously with Aaron Jones, and I didn’t quite know how everything was going to go,” LaFleur said (via Jason Wilde of Madison.com). “It just happened really fast on that Monday. … It happened really fast, so I don’t know all the details of that. I’m not involved in those types of conversations. But we were super excited (to get Jacobs).
Jacobs shouldn’t have any issues replacing Jones’ production. Following a 2022 campaign where he led the NFL with 2,053 yards from scrimmage in 17 games, Jacobs was limited to only 13 contests in 2024. Still, the 26-year-old managed to top 1,100 yards from scrimmage, although that was partly due to him garnering more than 20 touches per game. Jones followed up four-straight seasons of 1,000-yard production with 889 yards from scrimmage in 13 games this past season.
The team will also be counting on Jacobs to fill the leadership void left by Jones, although LaFleur told reporters that he’s challenged Jordan Love to step into a larger vocal role. Jones left the franchise with the third-most rushing yards in team history, and the head coach acknowledged that moving on from the veteran was “really tough.”
“[Jones has] always been team first,” LaFleur said (via Wilde). “He walks the walk, and he does everything. He’s just such a pro, [and] that’s always tough to replace.”
The Packers will have some continuity on their depth chart in AJ Dillon. The organization hit the former second-round running back with the rarely used four-year qualifying offer, locking the player into a one-year deal.
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