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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- He took a pay cut. He threw his full support behind Jordan Love -- even after he lobbied for Aaron Rodgers to return. And he never, ever complains about not getting the ball more often.
What more could a young quarterback -- and a young team, really -- ask for?
Aaron Jones, teammate of the year.
As valuable as the seventh-year running back has been -- and was again in Sunday’s season-opening 38-10 win over the Chicago Bears with 127 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns on only 11 touches -- it’s the extras that could go a long way toward helping Love and the young Packers’ offense make this more than just a rebuilding year.
“Aaron’s the ultimate teammate, the ultimate friend, the ultimate person,” Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark said. “He’s just a great dude. Never complains about work. You can tell how much he cares about his teammates, and how he doesn’t want to let his teammates down.
“Jordan having a guy like that you can depend on, that you know is going to be there, it works wonders for you.”
This offseason, Jones agreed to a $5 million pay cut from his original $16 million total for this season. It was around that time when Jones did interviews on national outlets saying he wanted Rodgers back. He told NFL Network in March that Rodgers is “my quarterback, so I hope he’s back” and “I don’t want him going anywhere.”
By mid-April, even before the Rodgers trade to the Jets had been completed, Jones had already gone out to California to work out with Love. Jones said at the time it was his way of “letting him know, ‘Hey, you have guys in your corner that no matter what happens, we’re gonna play for you.’ I think if he knows that, it’s just going to help him that much more.”
Jones was also part of a larger contingent who returned to California this summer for additional workouts with Love well after the trade had been completed.
It’s not just the offense that Jones influences. There were times during training camp when things got heated in practice and Jones settled things down, one day even going over to several defensive players and reminding them that they’re all on the same team and working for the same goal.
“Just his approach, his ability to speak up when needed, I think he’s got everybody’s ear in that locker room,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “Everybody respects him. It starts by the work that he puts in on a daily basis. He’s got great perspective. He’s been doing it at a high level for a long time now, and how old is Aaron? What, 28? And he’s one of our older players, so … That’s kinda funny to think about.”
And it’s not just Jones’ words.
“You see it by his actions,” LaFleur said. “He’s out there hitting the sled in the [special teams] period before practice and just doing all the little things, and he doesn’t even really do a whole lot in that role. He just always kind of goes above and beyond what is expected.”
Second-year receiver Romeo Doubs called Jones “one of the best veteran leaders and players I’ve ever played with in my entire football career.”
In Sunday’s season opener against the Bears, a high-pressure situation for Love in his debut as Rodgers’ full-time replacement, who was there to deliver words of encouragement to Love? Jones, of course.
He said he told Love: “Just be yourself. Be special. You don’t have to do anything more or anything less. I said, ‘We’ve got your back. We’re going to go out here and play ball and whatever’s left, we got you.’”
Jones, indeed, had him covered.
There was the deception play that Jones took for a 51-yard catch-and-run on a well-blocked screen pass, a 35-yard touchdown catch on a bold fourth-and-3 call, and a 1-yard touchdown.
35-yard TOUCHDOWN! 🙌#GBvsCHI | #GoPackGo
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/PWnVHFnfk9
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 10, 2023
The only questionable thing was why Jones didn’t touch the ball again in the first half after a dominant opening series. It wasn’t until the opening possession of the second half -- another touchdown drive -- that Jones got the ball again.
At no point did Jones approach Love, LaFleur or any other member of the coaching staff to ask why that was case. In fact, the only conversation he had with LaFleur was when he told him he was fine to go back in the game after sustaining a left hamstring injury on his 35-yard score, but LaFleur held him out because the victory was already in hand.
“Matt knows what he’s doing,” said Jones, who was seen with a protective sleeve on his left leg Monday. “He’s the one calling some of those plays, getting me open, freeing me up. Got a lot of respect for him.”
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