When should Packers offer Aaron Jones a new contract?

Aaron Jones has one year remaining on his rookie contract. When should the Green Bay Packers aim to work out a long-term deal?

Figuring out who to give long-term contract extensions to, and when, is one of the biggest challenges facing Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst in the next couple of offseasons.

Between now and next March, Bryan Bulaga, Mason Crosby, David Bakhtiari, Kenny Clark, Aaron Jones, Corey Linsley, Kevin King and Jamaal Williams all have expiring contracts.

It will be close to impossible to re-sign them all, especially if the Packers plan to be active in free agency. Bulaga and Crosby are set to become unrestricted free agents next month, the other names listed have one year remaining.

That does give the Packers some flexibility as they can agree on new deals with some players this offseason and wait another year on others. But the longer it goes, the greater the risk of losing players without long-term deals already in place.

Jones is coming off a breakout 2019 season. He was the best player on offense. When Jones had a big game, so did the Packers. When he was quiet, so were the Packers.

Playoffs included, Jones finished the season with an incredible 23 total touchdowns. He almost had as many rushing and receiving touchdowns as Aaron Rodgers did passing TDs (26).

It was also Jones’ first 1,000-yard rushing season and he added a career-best 474 receiving yards on top of that. At this stage, there’s no doubt that Jones is one of the very best in the NFL at his position, and he’s a game-winner for the Packers.

In his first three seasons in the NFL, Jones averages five yards per carry and has 28 rushing touchdowns to his name. When given more opportunities, he’s delivered time and again.

Here’s the problem. At the end of the 2020 season, Jones is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He’ll only have just turned 26 years old and there will be no shortage of interest from other teams around the league looking for not just a great running back, but an explosive playmaker on offense.

The Packers won’t want to lose a player as talented and important to their team as Jones, but they’ll need to pay him. It then becomes a question of when, not if.

Assuming the Packers aim to agree on long-term extensions for Bakhtiari and Clark this summer, they could decide to delay negotiations with Jones until late in the year or even next offseason.

But if he backs up 2019 with another strong season in 2020, he’ll be one of the best players in the league set to hit free agency. That would make it all the more challenging to keep him without using the franchise tag.

Gutekunst can’t keep everyone. He’s going to have to be willing to move on from core members of the current roster. But Jones would be tough to replace. The Packers will want to keep him but to do so they’ll need to work out a new deal at some point in the next 12 months.

It’s about timing. When is the right time?