Packers gift Cowboys golden chance to get revenge for wild card loss

The taste from the Dallas Cowboys wild card loss won't fade until the team has a breakthrough in the playoffs. We hate to revisit the defeat, but the Packers ran roughshod over the heavily favored Cowboys, literally and figuratively.

Though the Packers' Swiss-cheese defense and upstart offense were seemingly the perfect matchup on paper for Mike McCarthy's side, the Cowboys have notoriously struggled against Green Bay in the playoffs. Granted, it was Jordan Love -- not Aaron Rodgers -- under center, but any competent Qb would have diced up the Dallas defense that showed up for the game.

Unfortunately, the teams don't play during 2024 the regular season. The only crack at revenge the Cowboys will get is in a potential playoff matchup ... or is it?

On Friday, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Packers will release running back Aaron Jones if he doesn't agree to a pay cut.

In desperate need of a RB1 this offseason, the Cowboys are suddenly in a position to steal Jones away from their NFC rivals.

Cowboys could sign Aaron Jones to get revenge on Packers after wild card loss

"If the two can't reach agreement in the next two weeks, the Packers would release him and then hope whatever they are offering isn't matched on the open market. If it wasn't, they'd have a chance at re-signing him at their price."

- Tom Silverstein, MJS

This is a sad summation of the current RB market. Jones agreed to a pay cut last offseason to remain in Green Bay and offer the team more cap space. Slowed by a hamstring injury, Jones played at an All-Pro level in 2023 when healthy. He ranked eighth among RBs in yards after contact per rush attempt and his 81.5 rushing grade ranked 11th, per Pro Football Focus.

Cowboys fans know all too well how awesome of a player Jones is. The El Paso native played three years at UTEP and has owned Dallas in his pro career. In four career games against the Cowboys, Jones has 488 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry. His 122 rushing yards per game vs Dallas is the most of any player with at least three games against the Cowboys.

Signing a 29-year-old running back would definitely be a gamble, but the Packers' demand for a pay deduction indicates Jones could come very cheap. A one-year deal for $5-7 million would be palatable from a Cowboys perspective.

Jones would be an upgrade to Tony Pollard and signing the vet wouldn't prevent Dallas from selecting their future starter in April's draft.

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