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Even Matt LaFleur had to catch his breath following the Packers’ dizzying game of running back musical chairs in NFL free agency.
When reviewing the team’s actions during the offseason, the Packers coach expressed surprise at the decision to release Aaron Jones to make space for Josh Jacobs, a former Raider.
“It kind of caught me off guard, to be honest with you,” LaFleur said at last week’s annual league meetings via the Wisconsin State Journal.
“There were some additional factors involved, particularly concerning Aaron Jones, and I wasn’t fully aware of how things would unfold. It all happened very quickly on that Monday,” the coach stated.
During the legal tampering period of NFL free agency in March, the Packers discreetly entered the competitive running back market by reaching an agreement with Jacobs on a four-year, $48 million contract.
Jones, who tallied 226 rushing yards and three touchdowns during the Packers’ two-game postseason run, was told shortly after he was being released.
He was reportedly asked to take a pay cut but declined.
Jones spent the past seven seasons with the Packers, who selected him in the fifth round (182nd overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He went on to sign a one-year, $7 million deal with the Vikings, who are in the market for a quarterback following veteran Kirk Cousins’ departure for the Falcons in free agency.
The Packers will now face Jones twice a year as he remains in the NFC North.
As for Jacobs, a former first-round pick by the Raiders in 2019, he rushed for 805 yards on 233 carries for six touchdowns in 13 appearances last year.
He will now be paired with quarterback Jordan Love, who is coming off of a successful first year as the Packers’ starter in which he led them to a wild-card win over the Cowboys before losing a nail-biter to the 49ers in the divisional round.
