GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 24: Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers walks across the field before the NFC Championship game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lambeau Field on January 24, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The Green Bay Packers have decided not to place the franchise tag on star running back Aaron Jones, opening the door for him to leave in free agency.
Green Bay Packers fans everywhere were hoping things wouldn’t come down to this, but the front office has just made a tough decision. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers have decided not to place the franchise tag on star running back Aaron Jones.
With this latest decision, Jones, who has been a standout for Green Bay since arriving to Lambeau Field in 2017, will now potentially look to sign elsewhere in free agency.
The Packers very well could end up regretting not placing the franchise tag on Aaron Jones
Jones has been a touchdown machine for the Packers in recent years and has really developed a strong bond with superstar signal-caller Aaron Rodgers. Now, Packers nation may have to get used to seeing Jones in a new jersey, although Schefter is also reporting the team is hoping to re-sign him before he inks elsewhere.
Jones is coming off another strong campaign for Green Bay in 2020, as the 5-foot-9, 210-pounder rushed for a career-high 1,104 yards and added nine touchdowns. He was fantastic catching the ball out of the backfield from Rodgers too, posting 47 receptions for 355 yards and two more scores.
Now that he’s all set to become a free agent, though, it could be tough for Green Bay to put the kind of money Jones is hoping for on the table. Several teams are surely going to contact Jones as soon as possible to try and get him to town for a visit.
We’ll find out soon enough if Brian Gutekunst will end up regretting this latest decision. If you ask Packers fans, they sure think letting Jones walk could be a monster mistake.