GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers running back Aaron Jones left Sunday’s 17-0 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter with a knee injury, and a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter the team believes Jones suffered a sprained MCL.
If further tests confirm that, Jones would miss time but could potentially return before the end of the regular season.
Jones reached for his right knee at the end of a 6-yard gain. On the CBS TV broadcast, Tracy Wolfson reported that Jones left the medical tent in tears and went to talk to his family.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur would not provide any update after the game.
“That’s a big blow,” LaFleur said, without discussing the severity of the injury. “It’s hard to replace a guy like that. Just everything he brings to this football team on a daily basis. Just watching him out at practice, the effort that he plays with. Here’s a guy that, he’s always the same. He’s super consistent in his approach, his work ethic, his attitude, his energy.
“Yeah, you miss that when somebody’s not in the lineup. But other guys are going to have to step up, and we’re going to have to do a great job as a staff of making sure that we supplement that in a different area, whatever that may be, whether it’s throwing the football, and we’ve got to find ways to still produce without him.”
Second-year running back AJ Dillon totaled 128 yards of offense (66 yards on 21 carries and 62 yards on two catches) and two touchdowns against the Seahawks.
Jones has suffered MCL sprains before, including one to his right knee during the 2018 season. He missed the final two games of that season. As a rookie in 2017, he missed two games in the middle of the season because of an MCL sprain and then also sat out the season finale because of a similar injury. The Packers missed the playoffs in both of those seasons, so it’s unknown when Jones could have returned.
The Packers signed Jones to a four-year, $48 million deal in March.
He had four catches for 61 yards and seven carries for 25 yards when he left the game.
The Packers also might have lost two defensive players: Whitney Mercilus with a biceps injury, and Rashan Gary with a right elbow injury. Neither returned, and both will undergo more tests Monday.
Source: www.espn.com