Getty Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a first down against the Carolina Panthers during the third quarter in the game at Lambeau Field on November 10, 2019 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Minnesota Vikings have capitalized on an ongoing exodus across the border following Aaron Rodgers‘ return to the Green Bay Packers.
Rodgers, who agreed to a three-year, $150 million deal, has seen his supporting cast disperse from Green Bay. The most notable departures, three wide receivers in DaVante Adams, Marquez Valdez-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown all left for new teams this offseason.
Not to mention two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith who signed with the Vikings on March 22, crossing the border after being released due to salary-cap restrictions.
Minnesota also signed slot cornerback Chandon Sullivan, who the Packers attempted to re-sign after three years in green and gold. Sullivan opted to follow Smith, saying “it was time to move on” from Green Bay, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reported.
All the departures have left some hard feelings in Green Bay, which resecured its Hall of Fame quarterback while the team has undoubtedly gotten worse this offseason.
A video of Packers running back Aaron Jones mocking Vikings fans on Twitter surfaced on Saturday, March 26, which sparked the feud between the two border rivals even months after the NFL season’s end.
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Jones Mocks Vikings Fans
Late Saturday night, a video of Jones with little outside context surfaced on Twitter of him sarcastically apologizing to Minnesota fans for not having much to celebrate about over the past few seasons.
The video garnered over 100,000 views in a few hours:
“I wanted to tell you guys, being a fan is about celebrating your team, not how many players you can name,” Jones said. “I know as a Vikings fan you don’t get to celebrate a lot, so it’s kind of hard, and I understand that. Sorry about that.”
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While what prompted Jones’ jab at the Vikings is unknown, his stance leans on the Packers winning the past three NFC North division titles as a team, while Minnesota has squandered its chances despite its player notoriety.
But from a broader perspective, Jones’ point is folly.
Since Jones was drafted by Green Bay in 2017, the Packers have gone 4-5-1 against the Vikings.
Green Bay has made three consecutive postseasons, but, much like the Vikings, the Packers have ended those years short of the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl every time.
Fans espoused many of these talking points ad nauseam as neither fan base would concede ground to their neighbors across the border.
Check out some of the best fan banter below.
Fan Reactions
Many Packers fans jumped on Jones’ argument, calling out Minnesota for its mediocrity.
@nate_loyden MIDesota Vikings fans big mad 😂
Another fan clapped back that the closest the Packers star is merely playing for social media and not for real hardware.
A once-proud organization celebrating social media championships with the rest of us. What a shame.
Jones laid on his Midwestern passive-aggressiveness thick in this video, which he was lauded for by one fan.
@nate_loyden He’s such a nice guy that even when he insults you it feels like a compliment.
Another fan called out that Jones hasn’t won anything over the Vikings when it comes to Super Bowls.
Bro has the same amount of Super Bowl wins as the Vikings what has he celebrated? 💀
In the end, it’s all about entertainment, which Jones provided. The Vikings and Packers are 54-54-1 in the Super Bowl era entering the 2022 season, making this season a pivotal year for both franchises.
As douchey as he is for this—this is literally why I love rivalries.
#Vikings/Packers should be even more fun in 2022.