Aaron Jones ‘Caught a Break,’ Inspires Packers After Knee Injury
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Because of a knee injury, the running style of Aaron Jones wasn’t on the field. But the substance of the Green Bay Packers’ veteran running back and leader was present.
“I was definitely watching the game back in here and then, probably 13 minutes left in the fourth, I went out there,” Jones said after a 23-20 victory over the Chargers. “They told me to stay back here, but I realize it’s only AJ [Dillon] in the game, so just to get in his ear and be there for the offense. I knew if they see me, it would kind of lift them a little bit.”
Despite injuries to Jones and fellow running back Emanuel Wilson, both of whom were carted to the locker room late in the first half, the Packers rallied past the Chargers.
Everyone – Jones included – feared the worst following a 2-yard run with about 3 minutes left in the half.
“They went to go tackle me on the right, like my right foot,” Jones explained. “They missed, and I picked it up and it was laying on the defender's helmet and my left leg was in the ground and somebody had me and my cleats were in the ground. I think it was Kenneth Murray comes down and I'm already kind of low and I just absorbed all of that, that was in the ground.
“Knee, hip and groin – felt it all. It felt awful.”
Jones limped off the field and went into the blue medical tent. Not long thereafter, he was driven to the locker room. With a towel covering his head, he waved to the crowd a couple times.
The reaction seemed to confirm the worst possible news.
“I was really concerned just seeing it live,” coach Matt LaFleur said.
So did Jones, who feared he had suffered a torn ACL, which would have ended his season.
“If it’s my ACL, then I’m done for the season,” he said. “I put in a lot work, put in a lot of time to be here with these guys. For it to go out like that, I was feeling like, ‘Man, I can’t catch a break.’ But caught a break. Hopefully, it’s not anything serious and I’m back here pretty soon.”
Initial tests to determine whether he had suffered a torn ACL were negative.
“Definitely” thought it was worse, Jones said, “but we haven’t done an MRI or anything. Got to go do that first. But definitely (could have been) a lot worse. The initial pain and all that was worse than I thought it was going to be.”
As you’d expect considering Jones’ significance, there was a lot of concern on the sideline when he hobbled off the field and was taken inside.
“It’s definitely tough,” receiver Christian Watson said. “Regardless of the player he is, just the leader he is, the man, we need him in that huddle. We need him on that sideline, so it’s definitely tough to see him go down.
“I told him as soon as he was walking off, we’re going to get it done for him, and I think everybody felt that way, regardless of if they said it or not. I think everybody wanted to get that one done for him and we’re always in his corner.”
The Packers got it done. Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes, including one to Watson, and the defense stopped the Chargers to preserve the win.
“Someone came in at halftime to check on me,” Jones said. “Christian, D(evonte) Wyatt, a couple of guys were like, ‘We’re going to get this done. We’re going to get this done for you.’ As soon as the game was over, they come find me and were like ‘What did we tell you? What did we tell you?’ I’m glad the guys were resilient, everybody stepped up, made a play when we needed one, and I think this is a lot to build from.”
More Packers-Chargers News
Game story: Packers 23, Chargers 20
