Deshaun Watson and the 5 worst contracts in the NFL right now
By Sam Penix
5. Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers — 4 years, $48 million, $13 million guaranteed
Jones' place on this list has less to do with him as a player, and more to do with his role. Following his Pro Bowl 2020 campaign, Jones signed his current deal before restructuring it and taking a pay cut last offseason. He carries a cap hit of just over $8 million this season, but that hit jumps up to $17.7 million next year, which would be second among all running backs.
Now, Jones is good enough to where that wouldn't be an astronomical payday for him. The problem is that the Packers are just not utilizing him anywhere near where he should be, given both his talent and his cost. During the four games that he has played in this season, Jones has touched the ball a total of 39 times. In those same four games, A.J. Dillon handed the rock 48 times.
Jones is averaging 6.3 yards per touch, while Dillon is at 3.9. Since Dillon is in the final year of his rookie deal, Jones' cap hit is 4.87 times Dillon's. The best possible explanation for his limited usage is Jones' hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1, so we'll have to monitor how things go moving forward, but for now, Green Bay has a very expensive player who is not a featured part of the offense.