Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones believes the 2023 team set the groundwork for something special entering 2024.
Internal expectations are now high after the Packers revived their season, beat top teams like the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs down the stretch, made the playoffs after winning three-straight games to close the regular season, upset the Cowboys in Dallas to open the postseason and nearly knocked of the top-seeded 49ers in the divisional round.
“I feel like what we’re building here is special,” Jones told Larry McCarren of Packers.com. “You can feel it. You can see it. The chemistry. The bond. The standard that we’ve set. I feel like with the standard we’ve set, we know what our expectations are when we come back next year. Our standard is high. We have no reason not to reach that standard every day because we’ve shown that we can do it this year, and we showed we can do it game after game after game, we can put it together. We’re going to be dangerous, we’re going to be special.”
Jones called the 2023 season a “rollercoaster” due to early close losses and his own injuries. He missed six games — three early due to a hamstring injury, and three later on with a sprained MCL — but the Packers got rolling in November and then hit the ground running when Jones returned.
Over the final eight games, the Packers went 6-2, and they were minutes away from advancing to the NFC title game. Jordan Love enjoyed a 2.5-month stretch where he was a top quarterback in football, and Jones proved he still has special playmaking talent.
“This is a special team, a special group of guys,” Jones said. “We’re building something special here. We defied expectations. No one thought we’d be in the playoffs, let alone the second round of the playoffs. It was a great building block for us.”
Jones rushed for 100 or more yards in five straight games to end the season, setting a new franchise record. He said he’s “aging like wine” and just hitting his “prime.” The Packers have him under contract for 2024.
The veteran running back said the Packers felt like they should have beat the 49ers, but the team’s performances against the NFL’s best proved to a young team that they can play with anyone.
“We came out and showed we can play with the best teams in the league.”
Coach Matt LaFleur recognized in his season-ending press conference that expectations will be higher next season. The league’s youngest team was battled tested over 19 games in 2023. With Jones expected back in 2024, the Packers could go from dangerous underdog to legitimate contender.
Here’s Jones’ full appearance on the “Total Packers with Matt LaFleur” show on Packers.com: