Aaron Jones looked dominant in today’s game against the Chicago Bears, but the Green Bay Packers running back left Sunday’s action after suffering an injury. What happened to Jones, what is his current outlook, and how would Green Bay replace him if he’s sidelined for an extended period of time?
Aaron Jones Injury Update
Jones had essentially been the entire Green Bay offense before departing. He posted 41 yards on the ground, 86 yards through the air, and scored two total touchdowns through the better part of three quarters.
But Jones started grabbing at his left hamstring while crossing the goal line on his second touchdown.
On 4th and 3, @Showtyme_33 scores again 🙌
📺: #GBvsCHI on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/G4uoYVOqQn pic.twitter.com/xwEGcupd5H— NFL (@NFL) September 10, 2023
Jones didn’t initially enter the blue medical tent, and the broadcast said he told his teammates he wasn’t seriously injured.
However, he continued to get stretched out by Green Bay’s medical staff on the sideline, and the club subsequently announced Jones is questionable to return with a hamstring injury.
The Packers turned to fellow running back AJ Dillon with Jones sidelined. He finished with 13 carries for just 19 yards.
Green Bay was leading the Bears by 17 points with 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when Jones went down, so the club might not have had any reason to bring Jones back and risk his health.
Indeed, Jones said after the game that he could have returned to action had the score warranted. He indicated that while he’s pulled his hamstring in the past, Sunday’s injury wasn’t all that serious.
“It feels great,” Jones said of his hamstring, describing the injury as a “bite.”
Aaron Jones says he felt his hamstring bite at end of his touchdown catch. He pulled his hamstring before. He says it was nowhere near that bad.
Jones didn’t return, but he says score had lot to do with it. He could have if needed, he says.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) September 11, 2023
Jones, 28, appeared in all 17 games for the Packers in 2022, managing 1,516 yards from scrimmage and scoring seven times. He accepted a pay cut this offseason to remain in Green Bay.
Who Could Replace Aaron Jones for Fantasy Football?
– Analysis from PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
Aaron Jones came up lame after his second touchdown of the afternoon. The game wasn’t much in doubt at the time of the injury, so it’s difficult to read too much into the severity of Jones’ injury.
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Still, AJ Dillon would be the next man up and would elevate into the weekly fantasy starter tier if Jones were to miss time. Dillon averaged 4.6 yards per carry in his three starts a season ago. Given that the Packers had five more rush attempts than pass attempts in their Week 1 win over Chicago, Dillon would be a high-quality and quantity option.