Aaron Jones passed on the opportunity to chase bigger potential deals in free agency to stay with the Green Bay Packers.
One day before the start of the legal tampering period, Jones and the Packers agreed to a deal worth up to $48 million over four years, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus said Jones’ desire to stay in Green Bay outweighed the allure of hitting the open market.
“We anticipated bigger offers in free agency, but Aaron wanted to stay with the Packers,” Rosenhaus said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.
It’s unclear the exact terms of Jones’ deal. Often, the initial contract details are exaggerated, so Jones’ deal might come in below $12 million per year.
Jones has never been shy about his preference for staying with the Packers. In May of last year, he said he was going into the final year of his rookie contract knowing he wanted to be a “lifelong Packer,” and he never wavered from that stance throughout the season, even after turning down offers and eventually changing agents.
The Packers passed on using the franchise tag on Jones last week, believing they still had enough time to get a long-term deal done. The gamble was a good one, and now Jones is under contract through the 2024 season at a price that has to be viewed as team-friendly, especially considering the four-year deal contained a signing bonus of only $13 million, per Schefter.
While all players should maximize their earning windows, especially at the running back position, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect situation for Jones than in Green Bay, where he plays with an MVP quarterback in a dynamic offensive scheme that both highlights his incredible skill set and protects him from overuse.
For at least the next three seasons, the Packers will have Jones and A.J. Dillon leading the running back position, creating a dynamic one-two punch for Matt LaFleur.
Jones could have chased the biggest possible payday in free agency, knowing bigger offers were likely to be available from any one of several teams ready to spend big to get an explosive weapon with Pro Bowl credentials like Jones. But while Jones won’t be playing for peanuts, it appears the Packers running back picked situation over payday, possibly knowing he has the best chance of completing his entire contract and remaining a star in Green Bay.
The Packers used a fifth-round pick on a little-known running back from UTEP in 2017, beginning his NFL journey. Four years later, the Pro Bowler repaid the favor, picking a return to Green Bay over the potential riches of the open market.
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