Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said a combination of factors, including unexpected difficulties involved on the financial side of a contract restructure and the opportunity to switch gears and pursue Josh Jacobs, all contributed to Gutekunst moving on from respected running back Aaron Jones this offseason.
Gutekunst provided a longer explanation of the circumstances surrounding Jones’ departure in an interview with CheeseheadTV.
“The landscape changed,” Gutekunst explained. “We weren’t able to come to an agreement that we thought we might be able to with Aaron, and then, quite frankly, some opportunities opened up that we didn’t expect as well. As hard as that is when you’re emotionally attached to a player like Aaron and everything he’s done for the club, you have to do what’s right for the Green Bay Packers…I feel I owe that to the organization.”
Gutekunst and the Packers attempted to negotiate a paycut for Jones to keep him in Green Bay for the 2024 season. Jones and his reps balked at taking a substantial paycut for the second straight year, opening the door for a divorce between player and team.
Early in the offseason, Gutekunst said he fully expected Jones to return. He told CheeseheadTV that nothing noteworthy happened between the two negotiating parties, but the Packers did not expect the financial hurdle to be such a great one when it came to negotiating the paycut.
It’s also clear the Packers did not expect to have a legitimate chance of landing Jacobs, the 2022 rushing champion. The 2019 first-round pick is only 26 years old and just one year removed from a terrific season, creating the possibility to upgrade at running back long-term. The Packers were also able to re-sign backup A.J. Dillon on a cheap and unique deal, bolstering the depth at the position.
Here’s the full interview with Gutekunst from CheeseheadTV:
