Why the Packers don’t need to rush Aaron Jones back

When Aaron Jones went down with a knee injury in the Week 10 outing against the Seattle Seahawks, things got scary for a split second. I reminisced to the old days where James Starks and Alexander Green were the Green Bay Packers‘ main ball carriers in their own respective seasons and shuddered at the thought of having to deal with a similar situation again.

But then I realized, we have a 247-pound Quadzilla ready to step up and fill the starter role immediately.

A.J. Dillon has been just as good as Aaron Jones this season, as the two backs have mostly split touches throughout the 10-game stretch so far. With Jamaal Williams departing the team in free agency, Dillon has stepped up in a massive way and made some huge plays for the team in crucial moments. Just this last week, Dillon was the reason that the Pack scored the two touchdowns they did – and arguably the reason they were able to capture the win.

Even with Aaron Jones’ injury being way less serious than originally thought, I don’t think the Packers need to rush him back. Knee injuries can linger much longer than expected if not given the proper amount of time to heal, and I’d rather Jones not be around for the next few games than down in the line in the playoffs.

As previously mentioned, Dillon is playing at a career-high level and will only continue to excel when given more carries. Dillon will more than fill his role as the starting running back for the next few weeks, while we will also see second-year Patrick Taylor get some touches as well.

Taylor has a somewhat similar frame to Dillon, so the two will play well together and give off a one-two punch. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Packers target a free agent running back like Duke Johnson or Todd Gurley either, given that Kylin Hill is on injured reserve and the team has been aggressive in free agency all year.