Aaron Jones, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, has been a solid NFL running back for nearly a decade. He contributed to the Green Bay Packers immediately as a rookie, becoming a key cog in their offense. From 2018 to 2023, Jones averaged 1,257 yards from scrimmage and 10 total touchdowns per season for the Packers.
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Jones was expected to be part of the Packers’ 2024 Super Bowl push after their tremendous performance in 2023. But on the eve of free agency, Green Bay shockingly cut him loose, opting to replace him with Josh Jacobs in a four-year, $48 million deal.
The Packers had made the same deal with Jones in 2021. What hurt Jones was that he had agreed to an initial pay cut from $16 million to $11 million. He was due to make $12 million in salary and bonuses in 2024. But it seems Jones was asked to take another cut, which he felt was not right.
Green Bay’s decision did catch Jones off guard. During Tuesday’s episode of The Herd, he told FOX Sports’ fill-in host Jason McIntyre that the Packers assured him that he’d be on their roster in 2024. But when they came looking to reduce his wages, he walked out the door.
“Definitely did not see it coming. I finished the year off strong [after being] hurt earlier in the year… once I was back out there, I feel like I helped lead us to the playoffs. I was being told from the organization, ‘You’re the heart and soul of this team. You’ll be back here.’ [Then] they wanted me to take a pay cut. And sometimes, you [have] got to bet on yourself,” Jones said.
Jones then signed a one-year, $7 million pact with the Minnesota Vikings last offseason. He posted 1,138 rushing yards for the 14-3 Vikings and upgraded the deal to a 2-year, $20 million one this offseason.
Unlike the Packers, the Vikings rewarded Jones for his efforts. They’re hoping to reap the benefits again in 2025.
And Jones happens to be one of the few RBs in the league who enjoys a contract worth their contribution.
Jones believes running backs are underpaid
There has been widespread conversation about running back salaries in recent years. The debate was intensified when the Los Angeles Rams blundered paying Todd Gurley $57 million for four years despite having two years left in his rookie contract.
Having made it in 2018, Gurley should have played till 2022 at least. But the Rams cut that contract in 2020, meaning that they ended up spending a whopping $20 million more than they should have.
Teams seemed to have learned from the Rams’ mistake. That said, it is hard to blame just one player for the running backs getting lower salaries. But the demands of the game are favoring offensive players, even kickers, a lot more.
While most other salaries — such as those for quarterbacks and wide receivers — have skyrocketed, halfback contracts have stagnated. Jones, with his recent deal, is now one of only six running backs making $10 million per season (Spotrac).
The list is led by Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million), followed by Christian McCaffrey ($19 million), Jonathan Taylor ($14 million), Alvin Kamara ($12.25 million), Josh Jacobs ($12 million), and Aaron Jones ($10 million).
Derrick Henry recorded 1,921 yards in 2024. The Baltimore Ravens paid him just $8 million for that production, even though he joined them on the back of a tremendous tenure with the Tennessee Titans. Is Henry’s dominance worth the same as the contribution by backup quarterback Marcus Mariota?
Henry’s and Mariota’s paychecks indicate that it is. But Barkley knows it’s not. And Jones does, too.
“As you’re going through contract negotiations, you’re seeing what other guys are getting across other positions. You can kind of see what’s going on… [everybody’s feeling], ‘They’re trying to devalue us. Devalue our position.’ But we bring so much value to the game. Luckily, [the] guys balled out this year,” Jones said.
Jones added that he believes the running back market still “should be a little bit better”. If he, Barkley, Henry, and others continue dominating, they may have the ship entirely righted in no time.
