On Friday, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur delivered 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 tore his MCL against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11. Before leaving, he had four carries for 14 yards and one catch for three yards. Jones did not participate in any practice leading up to this weekend, and he also missed last Thursday’s victory over the Detroit Lions.
Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers faces an injury-plagued 2023 season.
Jones will have appeared in just seven of the Packers’ 12 games after Sunday’s game against the Packers. The veteran Packer strained his left hamstring in the third quarter of a Week 1 victory over the Chicago Bears, forcing him to miss the next two games. He returned in Week 4, but only had six touches before sitting out the following game. The UTEP product will now miss two games in a row due to an MCL injury.
Jones has 245 yards and two touchdowns on 66 carries. His 3.7 yards per rush attempt is almost certainly a career low. The former Pro Bowler has also caught 19 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown. Jones rushed for 1,121 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay’s final season under Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay Packers: Running Back AJ Dillon to Carry the Most Carries on Sunday.
AJ Dillon will once again lead the Green Bay backfield with Aaron Jones out. In his team’s Thanksgiving victory over the Detroit Lions, the bruising back ran 14 times for 43 yards. He also had three receptions for 38 yards. This season, the Boston College product has averaged 3.4 yards per carry.
Patrick Taylor, a third-year NFL veteran, will also be used by the Packers against the Chiefs. This season, he has 14 carries for 42 yards. On Thanksgiving Day, Taylor carried the ball three times for 11 yards. Adam Stenavich, the offensive coordinator, will also use rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed in the ground attack. This season, he has seven attempts for 81 yards and a touchdown but is listed as questionable (chest) for SNF.
