The Green Bay Packers have been pretty quiet thus far this offseason, but managing to bring back their star running back was the best move they could have made. Aaron Jones, 26, has proven to be one of the league’s best running backs and he will look to continue his success in Green Bay.
Jones signed a four-year contract worth $48 million to stay with the Packers for the long haul this offseason, and both sides seem very happy to have gotten a deal done. Jones played a huge role in the Green Bay offense in 2020 as he helped guide the Packers to an NFC Championship Game appearance.
Jones has established himself as one of the NFL’s best backfield weapons and he will hope to build off his success in 2021. In 2020, Jones accumulated 201 carries, 1,104 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 5.5 yards per carry, 47 receptions, 355 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.
He has all the tools to be an elite weapon for the Packers moving forward, as he’s already proven he can be. Jones has racked up back to back 1,000-yard rushing seasons but we’re going to predict what he’ll do in 2021. Let’s take a look at three way too early predictions for Aaron Jones next season.
Number One: Catch 60+ Passes
Aaron Jones has proven he can be a 1,000-yard rusher on the ground, as he’s done it each of the past two seasons for the Packers. One thing Jones has shown flashes of is his receiving ability, which is a tool that should be used more by Green Bay in 2021.
One of the sacrifices the Packers had to make when they brought back Jones was letting go of his backup in Jamaal Williams. Williams played more of a receiving back role, which is going to have to be filled by Jones a bit more this season.
Jones has never hauled in more than 49 receptions in a single season, but due to the lack of a receiving back on the Packers’ roster, we could see Jones trump the 60-catch plateau in 2021.
Number Two: Make the Pro Bowl
Jones was nominated to his first ever Pro Bowl in 2020 after posting career highs in rushing yards, yards per carry, and yards per game for the Packers. Jones is often considered to be one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs, but in 2020 his hard work was rewarded.
I think Aaron Jones could repeat his success in 2021 and be nominated to back to back Pro Bowls. In my opinion, Jones is a top three running back in the NFC and with another strong season he should certainly be in Pro Bowl consideration.
Jones is going to have to pick up a lot of the slack that the Packers are going to be losing with Williams’ receiving abilities now residing in Detroit, but that could only improve Jones’ odds at making a second consecutive Pro Bowl roster in 2021.
Number Three: Score 15+ Touchdowns
One thing that stands out about Aaron Jones is that he has an insane ability to score at will. Jones is a touchdown machine for the Packers, and he could prove to be an outstanding tenant in stadium end zones in 2021.
Jones has actually ran for 15 or more touchdowns once before as he accomplished the incredible feat back in 2019. I truly believe Jones is going to be able to score at least 15 or more touchdowns again in 2021. Jones is going to be seeing even more carries now that Williams is gone and that will provide him with more opportunities to thrive.
He has an insane knack for finding the end zone and I think he’ll be pretty close to leading NFL running backs in touchdowns in 2021. The Packers finally have a great running back, so they might as well use him accordingly.
