Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones will be back with the Green Bay Packers on a reduced salary in 2023.
According to ESPN, Jones and the Packers agreed to cut Jones’ salary by $5 million as part of a re-worked deal, which will reduce his salary cap hit in 2023 and ensure he stays in Green Bay for at least one more season and likely two.
The Packers turned Jones’ $7 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and lowered his base salary to create the cap savings in 2023.
In 2022, Jones rushed for a career-high 1,121 yards, posted his third season with 1,000 or more rushing yards on 250 or fewer carries and caught five touchdown passes. He was also the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award and the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
General manager Brian Gutekunst made it clear that the Packers wanted Jones back in 2023, but a $20 million cap hit with $16 million in total salary created a legitimate hurdle. This new adjusted deal clears the financial hurdle, keeping an elite player in Green Bay and helping the team’s salary cap issues.
Jones is still under contract for 2023 and 2024, with void years in place in 2025 and 2026 for salary cap purposes. The new deal could clear as much as $11 million off the team’s cap in 2023 and will significantly help Gutekunst get under the salary cap by the start of the new league year in March.
