On Friday, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur brought some disappointing news to Cheeseheads everywhere. According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Packers have ruled out star running back Aaron Jones for Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jones suffered an MCL injury in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers. He had four carries for 14 yards and one catch for three yards before his departure. Jones did not practice in any capacity leading into this weekend while also missing last Thursday’s win over the Detroit Lions.
Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones: Injury Plagued 2023 Season
After Sunday’s game against the Packers, Jones will have suited up for just seven of the Packer’s 12 games. The longtime Packer pulled his left hamstring in the third quarter of a Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears, resulting in him missing the next two games. He returned in Week 4 but logged six touches before sitting against in his team’s following contest. The UTEP product will now miss consecutive games with an MCL injury.
Jones has rushed for 245 yards and two touchdowns on 66 attempts. His 3.7 yards per rush attempt is easily a new career low. The one-time Pro-Bowler has also caught 19 passes for 169 yards and a score. Jones ran for 1,121 yards and two touchdowns in 2022, the final year of the Aaron Rodgers era in Green Bay.
Green Bay Packers: Running Back AJ Dillon to Receive Bulk of the Carries on Sunday
AJ Dillon will again lead the Green Bay backfield with Aaron Jones unavailable. The bruising back ran 14 times for 43 yards in his team’s Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions. He also caught three passes for 38 yards. The Boston College product has run for 3.4 yards per attempt this season.
The Packers will also use third-year NFL vet Patrick Taylor against the Chiefs. He has 14 carries for 42 yards this season. Taylor carried the ball three times for 11 yards on Thanksgiving Day. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich will also use rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed in the ground attack. He has seven attempts for 81 yards and a score this season but is listed as questionable (chest) for SNF.
