Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones has been hindered by a hamstring issue all season long, but it looks like is almost fully healed.
On Friday, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said that Jones had a good week of practice and that he is ready to “cut him loose” for Green Bay’s Week 9 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams (h/t JPAFootball).
Jones initially suffered the hamstring injury during the second half of the Packers’ season-opening win over the Chicago Bears and left the game. He then proceeded to miss Weeks 2 and 3 before returning for one game in Week 4. Jones was then inactive for the following contest and then made his way back in Week 7 after a Week 6 bye. He has played in the last two games.
On the season overall, Jones has carried the ball 29 times for 123 yards and a touchdown while also logging 10 catches for 121 yards and a score.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at UTEP, was selected by Green Bay in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
He was very efficient his first couple of seasons, averaging 5.5 yards per carry both years. Of course, he didn’t get a ton of touches during his rookie campaign, but in his second season, he totaled 728 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground as his role grew.
Jones then broke out in 2019, racking up 1,084 yards and a league-leading 16 rushing scores. In addition, he caught 49 passes for 474 yards while reaching the end zone three times.
The Savannah, Ga. native made his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2020 after recording 1,104 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, and last season, he achieved a career-high 1,121 yards on the ground.
Perhaps the most impressive detail about Jones’ NFL tenure is that he boasts a lifetime average of 5.1 yards per tote.
The Packers desperately need a healthy Aaron Jones, as they have lost four games in a row to fall to 2-5 on the season.
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