Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones said he’s making strides in his recovery from a knee injury and gaining confidence in his ability to return to play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jones, who has missed three-straight games, practiced in a limited capacity each of the last two days.
“I’m feeling a lot better. I got to move around today at practice. Making great strides, so I’m going to take it day by day but I feel I’m confident for Sunday,” Jones said Thursday.
Jones injured his MCL on Nov. 19 against the Los Angeles Chargers. By Sunday, Jones will be roughly a month removed from the injury.
The Packers will practice again Friday before providing a final injury report. It’s possible Jones will listed as questionable but with a terrific chance of playing Sunday, barring a setback.
The Packers may need him in a big way. A.J. Dillon broke his thumb on the final drive of Monday night’s loss to the New York Giants and has an uncertain status for Sunday against the Buccaneers. The other two options at running back are Patrick Taylor, who played 32 snaps against the Giants, and veteran Kenyan Drake, who has been on the practice squad for roughly a week.
Hear more from Jones below:
Through seven games, Jones has 245 rushing yards, 169 receiving yards and three total touchdowns.
Interestingly enough, Jones once returned from an MCL injury and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime against the Buccaneers during a December game at Lambeau Field in 2017. The victory improved the Packers’ record to 6-6. Can Jones return from another MCL injury and get the Packers to 7-7 on Sunday?
