It might be only a matter of time before Aaron Jones has a new deal with the Green Bay Packers.
Jones, who tied for the NFL lead in total touchdowns a year ago, told “Good Morning Football” on Tuesday morning that his representation and the Packers are still working on a deal that will keep him in Green Bay.
“Yes, they definitely are,” Jones said, via Kevin Patra of NFL.com. “I’m just sitting back, waiting until it’s done, I guess. My agent and them are taking care of it. I’m gonna continue to play football and when it’s time to sign the deal, it’ll be time. But I’m just going to focus on football.”
Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2017, is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2020.
A new deal has been in the works for months, possibly dating back to the combine, when it was reported the two sides had mutual interest in getting a new contract done. In May, Jones said he’d love to be “lifelong Packer.”
“I’m focused on myself. I feel like I can play at an elite level for a long time. Hopefully, that leads to me being a Packer for life, that’s my goal,” Jones said.
Jones looks like one of the NFL’s bright young stars at running back. He produced 1,558 total yards and scored 19 touchdowns over 16 regular season games in 2019. He added four more scores during the postseason, setting a new franchise record for total touchdowns (23) in a single season.
A slashing runner, Jones is a perfect fit in Matt LaFleur’s offense, and the Packers are planning to get him even more involved in the passing game in 2020, maximizing his value. He caught a career-high 49 passes and finished second on the team in total targets (68) last season.
A new deal wouldn’t come without risk. Paying running backs has been a dangerous venture for NFL teams in recent years, and the Packers just used a second-round pick on running back A.J. Dillon. GM Brian Gutekunst must also find a way to keep All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari, who also has an expiring contract following the 2020 season.
Jones turns 26 in December. He has 2,962 total yards and 32 total touchdowns over 40 career NFL games.
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