Green Bay Packers veteran running back Aaron Jones is on pace to put up the third 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. He’s now gained 937 yards on the ground and 1,301 total yards in 14 games following Monday night’s win over the Los Angeles Rams.
In no way does this mean that Jones has secured a long-term future with the Packers. At 6-8 on the season, Green Bay is barely holding on to its status as a playoff contender heading into Week 16. There’s going to be some widespread changes during the offseason.
That could include the Packers considering moving off Jones in favor of a young running back in A.J. Dillson who has performed at a high clip thus far this season. The finances will likely dictate this decision to an extent.
- Aaron Jones contract: 4 years, $48 million; $20.02 million cap hit in 2023
Green Bay can save north of $10 million against the 2023 salary cap should it opt to trade Jones. With Dillon set to count a mere $1.68 million against said cap, this seems to be a good bet.
If so, there’s going to be a nice amount of interest in Jones’ services at his cost of $8.6 million for an acquiring team. Here, we look at four trade scenarios.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated NFL running back rankings
Los Angeles Chargers provide Justin Herbert with three-down running back
Los Angeles ranks 30th in the NFL in rushing. A dual-threat back, Austin Ekeler just isn’t doing what’s being asked of him on the ground. He’s on pace for less than 1,000 rushing yards and has put up fewer than 40 rushing yards in eight games this season.
That lack of balance has had a direct impact on Justin Herbert who’s been sacked 33 times in 14 games on the season. If Los Angeles is intent on making sure Herbert has the help to become an elite-level signal caller, adding an upgrade in the backfield must be in the cards.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated NFL offense rankings
Arizona Cardinals add Aaron Jones to the mix
We can talk about Kyler Murray’s struggles under center until we’re blue in the face. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury simply might not be the answer in that role. Heck, general manager Steve Keim is out of a job. But an inability to get consistent production from the running back position has been a major issue for this struggling team.
James Conner leads the Cardinals with 624 rushing yards at a clip of 4.1 yards per rush. Eno Benjamin, who is no longer in the desert, ranks second among Arizona backs (299 rushing yards). Why not throw a mid-round pick and change in the direction of the Packers for a major upgrade in the backfield?
Related: NFL Playoff and Super Bowl predictions
Kansas City Chiefs go big-game hunting
As we’ve seen throughout his career in Green Bay, Aaron Jones can catch the ball. He’s hauled in 196-of-254 targets for 1,548 yards since the start of the 2019 season. This type of production in the passing game is vital to what the Chiefs like to do on offense.
Unfortunately, struggling 2020 first-round pick Clyde Edwards-Helaire has not been able to provide that. He’s caught all of 72 passes in 33 career games. Rookie first-round pick Isiah Pacheco has been good on the ground. But he has just 10 catches in 14 games. With general manager Brett Veach never afraid to hit the trade market, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he made a play for Jones once March comes calling.
Buffalo Bills finally get that running back for Josh Allen
We read rumors about Buffalo being in on Christian McCaffrey ahead of the in-season NFL trade deadline. It showed some interest in Alvin Kamara before it became clear that the New Orleans Saints weren’t going to move the Pro Bowler.
What we do know is that more balance on offense for Josh Allen has to be in the cards regardless of how the remainder of the regular season and playoffs play out.
- Aaron Jones stats (2019-22): 772 attempts, 3,834 rushing yards, 5.0 average, 196 receptions, 1,548 receiving yards, 5,382 total yards, 46 TD
Imagine this type of production in the backfield with Allen. Add in Stefon Diggs at wide receiver, and it woud make Buffalo’s offense nearly unstoppable moving forward.