To take a $5 million hit, a running back must really love their quarterback. Will Aaron Jones stay with Green Bay Packers despite $5M pay cut?!

Aaron Jones has reached an agreement with the Green Bay Packers and as a part of the restructured deal the star running back took a $5 million salary cut, which minimizes his 2023 salary cap hit and assures he remains in Wisconsin for one or two more seasons.

The Packers diminished Aaron Jones’ base salary and converted his roster bonus ($7 million) into a signing bonus to generate the cap savings for the upcoming football season.

In 2022, Jones was the team’s nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. As far as what he did on the field: Jones caught five touchdown passes, recorded his third season with 1,000 or more rushing yards, and rushed for 1,121 yards (a career-high).

Before the consolidation, the Packers were over their 2023 salary cap ($225 million) by roughly $16.5 million. In a single shift, Russ Ball (executive VP) and Brian Gutekunst (general manager) have vanquished most of the salary cap shortfall, although more maneuvers like the Aaron Jones slash will be necessitated prior to the beginning of the league’s new year in March.

In 2023, the Georgia native’s salary was trimmed from $16 million to $11 million. By reconfiguring Aaron Jones‘ base salary and making his roster bonus a signing bonus (which is pro rata over the remaining years of the agreement), the Packers were successful in pushing monies out.

The Pro Bowl running back is under contract in 2023 and 2024 (2025 and 2026 are deemed void years), and Green Bay could tack on a third void year to optimize the five-year apportionment.

As part of the revamp, Aaron Jones took home $8.5 million as a signing bonus. The whole bonus will be accrued over the four years (possibly five, if the Packers add another void year) left on his agreement.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments!

Readers May Also Like: