Parting ways with Aaron Jones a massive mistake by Packers

Around Green Bay, there's something known as "carrying the G."

The Green Bay Packers are a historic organization and don't need much introduction, but several players over the years have represented Green Bay more than others. Some more than others have bought into the small-town culture of Green Bay, Wisconsin. They've embraced the fact that the fans own the team as stockholders and not a single owner. They've carried themselves knowing that the Packers' fanbase extends far beyond the borders of Wisconsin and could be considered a worldwide brand.

LeRoy Butler, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and the late Bart Starr and Reggie White were all examples of these types of players. Until Monday, so was running back Aaron Jones, whom the Packers took in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Jones worked his way up Green Bay's roster, spending time as a backup in the Mike McCarthy era before he became a full-fledged star under head coach Matt LaFleur. LaFleur unlocked Jones' dual-threat nature as a running back and Jones thrived in his system, rushing for 4,764 yards and 33 touchdowns while tacking on 1,848 air yards and 17 touchdowns as a receiver since 2019.

When Jones was on, Green Bay's offense thrived. When he was injured, though, as he unfortunately often was, the Packers found themselves one-dimensional more often than not.

With that in mind, it does make logical sense why the Packers are reportedly releasing Jones in favor of signing free agent Josh Jacobs, formerly for the Los Angeles Raiders.

Jones is injury-prone and will turn 30 at the end of next season. Jacobs, on the other hand, just turned 26 and has stayed healthier than Jones has — certainly — throughout his career. Keep in mind we're also talking about a 208-pound running back (Jones) compared to a 223-pound running back (Jacobs).

That all makes sense on paper, but this still feels like a mistake for Green Bay — if not because of the intangibles.

Jones has been the leader of this squad even dating back to Rodgers' last few seasons on the team. He's a positive voice in the locker room and he's been the one constant in Green Bay since 2017.

Players, coaches, and even starting quarterbacks have come and gone, but Jones has remained.

Until now, and going into a pressure-packed 2024 season with a young squad, Green Bay may very well regret it.