Packers Beloved Ex-Playmaker Throws Shade at GB With New ‘Leap’

Getty Packers ex-RB Aaron Jones

It’s difficult enough, is it not, to see Packers great Aaron Jones trotting around an NFL field wearing the purple of the Minnesota Vikings. But it’s more difficult still to see him running wild against the New York Giants in Week 1, and topping it off by executing a Lambeau Leap after a touchdown run.

That is some serious shade thrown by Jones, long a popular leader in Green Bay, at his former team, the one he never really wanted to leave to begin with. In all, while the Packers were picking up the pieces after Week 1’s loss in Brazil to the Eagles, Jones was leading his new team with 94 yards rushing on 14 carries for an impressive 6.7 yards per run.

And there was the touchdown. Followed by—gulp!—the Leap. Jones was asked about the celebration after the game, and let the sacrilege continue, as he pondered bringing the Leap to Minnesota under an alternative name.

“Maybe the county that we’re in, in Minnesota, Hennepin County,” he said via the team’s website. “Maybe the Hennepin Leap. I don’t know, might have to think of something.”

Someone, please, alert LeRoy Butler before this goes too far.

Aaron Jones Wanted to Stay in Green Bay

In fairness to Jones, again, it was never his preference that he would be suiting up for the Vikings here in 2024. While he has been injury-prone (he missed six games in 2023), he was also a critical weapon in the Packers’ attack as the team steamrolled through the end of last season. Jones closed 2023 with rushing performances of 127, 120 and 111 yards in the final three weeks, and continued that by posting 118 and 108 yards in the Packers’ two playoff games.

Despite showing his worth in those games, it was as though the Packers had already decided to move on from Jones. He had accepted a pay cut from $16 million to $11 million in 2023, but when the Packers approached him to take another cut in 2024, he refused.

The Packers then let him go and instead pursued Josh Jacobs to replace him. Minnesota signed Jones to a one-year, $7 million deal, $4 million of which was wrapped up in a signing bonus. He was, naturally, excited about his new opportunity on Sunday.

“I’m feeling great,” he said. “This was a great way to start my journey with the Vikings. As a team, we came out and accomplished what we wanted to, put some points up on the board. Our defense, kept them out of the end zone. We played some complementary football. We can definitely clean it up but I think we looked pretty good.”

Packers Running Game had Strong Numbers in Week 1

As for the Packers’ running game, the team started slow on the ground in Week 1, in part because of an oddly tight playing surface at NeoQuimica Arena in Sao Paolo. But Jacobs responded to an eight-carry, 21-yard performance in the first have with eight carries and 63 yards in the second half.

Emanuel Wilson ran the ball well, too, and the Packers totaled 163 yards on the ground.

“They were just shooting the gaps,” Jacobs said. “They had a great game plan for the calls that we were calling. Once we made adjustments, we did better.”