MINNEAPOLIS, MN – DECEMBER 23: Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers on the field after the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 23, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-10. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Dalvin Cook is reportedly considering holding out until he gets an extension, and that decision could create a ripple effect reaching far further than Minnesota.
The Minnesota Vikings offseason took another turn for the dramatic on Monday.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Vikings running back Dalvin Cook isn’t reporting to team facilities until he gets a new contract extension. While Cook’s demands have largely been over-reported, with expectations hovering somewhere between $13-16 million per year, the reverberations felt around the league for other running backs is important to note.
In the same division, the Green Bay Packers are nearing their own dilemma with the emerging Aaron Jones, who rushed for over 1,000 yards and 16 touchdowns as a key weapon for Aaron Rodgers in 2019.
Can the Packers afford to lose Aaron Jones?
Jones’ contract is set to expire after the 2020 season, and Cook’s recent demands do beg the question as to whether the 25-year-old will try to cash in while a slew of top running backs around the league are doing the same. Whether the Packers feel the need to keep Jones a “Packer for life,” as he stated as his desire, remains to be seen.
With Jamaal Williams and recently-drafted AJ Dillon in tow, Jones doesn’t have as much leverage as Cook does on the Vikings, even if that is deemed relatively low.
Jones’ contract demands are unlikely to be as high as Cook’s, given his production is slightly lower and the backs Green Bay already has on the roster. Still, the Packers urgency to build a Super Bowl-caliber roster around quarterback Aaron Rodgers at his advanced age depends on bargain buys, especially after investing heavily in their defense last offseason.
An extension for Jones, especially a large one, might be tough. This is why Cook’s influence, should it move up Jones’ timing from next offseason to this summer, may provide an unwanted roadblock for Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.