Contract details are in for former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and the new deal he signed with the Minnesota Vikings.
It’s a one-year deal with four void years and $7 million in guarantees.
Some important things to know, via Over the Cap:
— Jones’ cap number in 2024 is only $3.5 million. After releasing him, the Packers will count $12.35 million in dead money on the cap in 2024 for Jones.
— Jones got a $4 million signing bonus and $3 million in guaranteed salary, or $7 million fully guaranteed overall.
— The Vikings added four void years onto the one-year deal to lower the 2024 cap hit. When the deal voids following the 2024 season, Jones will count $3.2 million in dead money on the Vikings’ salary cap in 2025.
— Jones will earn $850,000 in total per-game roster bonuses and $150,000 in workout bonuses. It appears these are both fully guaranteed in 2024.
Thoughts: The Packers’ offer to Jones probably wasn’t considerably less than what he got from the Vikings, but the Packers also asked for Jones to take big pay cuts in back-to-back years and then released him, so it’s tough to compare the two offers. When adding Jones’ dead money cap hit and Josh Jacobs’ cap number, the Packers will be using up $17.7 million in cap space to make the switch from Jones to Jacobs — or roughly Jones’ scheduled cap number in 2024 before his release. Jacobs is three years younger and just one year removed from the NFL rushing title. It’s clear the Packers only wanted Jones back on their terms and were prepared to pivot if necessary. For the Vikings, this is a low-risk contract for a difference-making player. If healthy, the Packers will see Jones twice next season.
