I said it in December when he switched agents, and I’ll say it again now in March: Let someone else pay Aaron Jones.
Today’s the day.
The Packers must decide whether or not they’d like to use the franchise tag on running back Aaron Jones.
If they tag him, he’ll be back in Green Bay on an expensive one-year deal.
If they don’t, he’ll hit free agency next week.
The positives of tagging Jones are simple.
You get another year of a dynamic weapon in your offense for another Super Bowl push without having to commit long-term.
The negatives are more complicated.
You’re spending $11 million on a running back.
Your 2nd round pick from a year ago rides the bench once again.
You hamstring your ability to do much more adding to your roster this offseason with the salary cap cut as it is.
On top of all of that, you risk frustrating Jones by taking away his ability to make money now instead of later.
What if Jones gets injured this year? It’ll hurt his ability to sign for more money next offseason.
The negatives outweigh the positives in my mind.
Jones has been a great Packer, but running backs depreciate over time.
I think it’s time for both sides to, as Aaron Jones did so many times to helpless defenders, wave goodbye.