The new league year is just around the corner, and roster moves are going to be coming in a fast and furious flurry over the upcoming days. The legal "tampering" period kicks off Monday, and dozens of players will be finding new homes.
The first few dominoes have started to fall. How much cap space the Green Bay Packers will create is yet to be seen. Xavier McKinney has restructured his contract. Elgton Jenkins is expected to be released, and Rashan Gary will likely be gone, based on his "hacked" Instagram post.
As excitement builds for the new free agency period and upcoming draft, fans and media alike begin to speculate as to where their respective teams will add to or subtract from in order to achieve their 2026 goals. Green Bay certainly has some big needs to address, but there is one fit that should not be explored, even if fans desperately want it to be true: Reuniting with Aaron Jones.
A reunion with Aaron Jones doesn't make sense for the Green Bay Packers
After a season in which Jones missed five games, Minnesota, a team facing plenty of salary cap problems, is expected to release him. Naturally, when a fan favorite gets released by another team, Cheeseheads will begin to clamor for their guy to come home.
Jones's release was no different. Making it more tempting was the timing of reports that Green Bay would not bring back Emanuel Wilson, leaving Josh Jacobs, Chris Brooks, and the often unavailable MarShawn Lloyd as the running backs on the roster. This led The Athletic's Matt Schneidman to include Jones on his free-agent target preview.
Signing Jones would be a mistake. While bringing in an extra running back ahead of the season makes a degree of sense, it is far from the team's biggest need. One could, and should, argue that cornerback and edge-rusher are more urgent concerns. Combine that with the cost that a veteran, former Pro Bowl would require, compared to what a late-round draft pick or undrafted rookie would cost, and it's a no-brainer.
That all said, the other factor is that Jones no longer fits with the Packers. He is entering the twilight of his career, with his 32nd birthday coming later this year. There may be some gas left in the tank, but it isn't a significant amount. Only three times has Jones played a full season, most recently in 2024.
The 2025 season was one of Jones' worst as a pro football player. In the 12 games he played in, Jones rushed for just 548 yards and only two touchdowns. Additionally, he only caught 28 passes for 199 yards and a single touchdown.
As much as I love Jones and hope he retires with the Packers one day, playing here just doesn't make sense. I hope he makes some more money and plays until he is ready to step away. It just shouldn't be in Green Bay.