With Kenny Clark under contract for the next five years, the Green Bay Packers can turn their attention to another star player who needs a new deal.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Aaron Jones may be reimbursed because he is considered a ‘priority’ for the Packers now that Clark’s deal has been done.
“This is not the only contractual priority they have … Aaron Jones, her standout running back, sure is one that is a priority for her,” Rapoport told NFL Network. “They want to get him paid.”
The Packers paid big for Clark, signing the Pro Bowl interior breaker on a four-year, $ 70 million expansion on Saturday. GM Brian Gutekunst and Russ Ball can now turn their attention to several others who need new deals, including Jones, David Bakhtiari and cornerback Kevin King.
Jones, 25, plays perhaps the league’s least important position, but he emerged as a legitimate player for Matt LaFleur and the Packers’ offense, winning more than 1,500 total yards and scoring an NFL-high 19 total touchdowns in the 2019 season.
The Packers drafted AJ Dillon in the second round, potentially having to provide insurance if negotiations with Jones fail, but there is clearly strong interest on the part of the team to do something with one of the most explosive young runners of the game.
The feeling is probably opposites. Back in May, Jones said he “would love to be a lifelong packer.”
Jones, a pick in the fifth round in 2017, enters the final year of his rookie deal in 2020. Over his first 40 NFL games, Jones has produced 2,962 total yards and scored 32 touchdowns.
The former UTEP star is set to make $ 2,133,000 in base salary in the 2020 season.
.
