“I’m Not Involved”: Matt LaFleur Shocked at Packers’ Decision to Release Aaron Jones & Hints at Potential Rift With GM Brian Gutekunst

One of the flagship running backs of the Green Bay Packers, Aaron Jones, is departing after spending 7 seasons with the Wisconsin team. His contract with the Packers was supposed to become null after this season. But as it turned out, the Packers ended it prematurely and he later moved on to the Minnesota Vikings. This cascade came as a shock to the HC Matt LaFleur.

Dov Kleiman took to X and gave us an update about the Packers RB’s current situation. One thing about this development is that fans are looking at LaFleur with apprehension, thinking how such a major release of a player could happen without due diligence. Some even think that he wants to avoid fan criticism and is acting oblivious.

Kleiman posted on X that Matt LaFleur was shocked when he learned that the RB Aaron Jones has taken off to the Minnesota Vikings over a 1 year $7 million deal. The deal gave him a $4,000,000 signing bonus, $7,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $7,000,000. The HC’s statement caused confusion about the Packers’ inside workings.

“It happened really fast, so I don’t know all the details of that. I’m not involved in those types of conversations,” revealed the Head Coach in a statement. However, the flip side to the whole situation is that the Packers acquired Josh Jacobs after Jones left a “big void” in the Packers offense.

Per sources, the reason behind this trade was because Jones’ agent Drew Rosenhaus was asked by the Packers to take a huge pay cut. They asked him to take a pay cut of $8 million, where his base salary would become less than $4 million. This was GM Brian Gutekunst’s idea with no consultation from the coach, possibly indicating a rift between the management members.

“We asked him to take a pay cut, and as we went through that process, we kind of realized it wasn’t going to probably come to fruition. Obviously, we had to do what’s in the best interest of the football team — and that’s what we did,” said the GM.

But while the GM was making tough decisions, it was Matt LaFleur who had an emotional setback following Aaron Jones’ departure.

The Packers’ HC reflects on the exit of the experienced RB from the side!

LaFleur had an interview with Tom Pelissero where he was asked about how he felt about the RB leaving the Packers organization. The coach mentioned that he’d been with Jones for a while and the RB’s name was “synonymous” with the Packers.

“Aaron Jones is kind of synonymous with the Green Bay Packers, at least in my time. So, when I got there in 2019, he was entering year 3 and he’s been here for 5 years. And to lose the guy that not only improves on the field and on the stat sheet, but what he does for the locker room, I mean that’s a big boy and we’re going to have other guys to step up. But certainly, excited about Josh Jacobs,” said LaFleur to Pelissero.

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Per the HC, it was tough to see Jones leave, only to join their divisional rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. This major decision came as a surprise to the head coach. Does the GM Gutekunst making this decision imply some kind of an altercation between the two? Would this move become a bane for the Packers? Or would they thrive with the ex-Raider Josh Jacobs as their new RB? What do you think?

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