Watch the Green Bay Packers Lose Nearly All Their Running Backs on a Single Drive: 'Horrific'
Talk about your Pyrrhic victories.
The Green Bay Packers just beat the Los Angeles Chargers at home 23-20, but took a brutal blow to their depth when two of their running backs — one of whom is a genuine star and one of the most popular Packers on the roster — went down with injuries that necessitated the medical cart to come pick up the player.
And it all happened on the same drive.
In the second quarter of the game, Jones (and his legs) became entangled underneath several bodies while being tackled, bending it in unnatural ways.
The visibly distraught and emotional response from Jones afterward made it clear that he knew the injury was bad, and almost assuredly season-ending at this point of the year (Less than half the NFL season remains.)
You can watch the Jones injury for yourself below:
WARNING: The following video contains imagery that the viewer may find disturbing
Horrific: #Packers star running back Aaron Jones was down on the field grabbing his knee and has since been CARTED TO THE LOCKER ROOM
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) November 19, 2023
The account that shared the video accurately called the injury “horrific,” and it would have been a tough blow for the team had Jones been the only injury suffered in the game, let alone that drive.
But just a few plays later, undrafted rookie running back Emanuel Wilson suffered a shoulder injury that also required a medical cart to come retrieve him, per ESPN.
Despite needing a cart. the Wilson injury, unlike the Jones injury, looked like a completely pedestrian football play:
#Packers Emmanuel Wilson is down on the field after this play pic.twitter.com/Fovl3k9gmh
— BSGsports (@BSGsportsmedia) November 19, 2023
While Wilson’s injury won’t likely have any material effect on the rest of his career (and despite needing a cart, it’s not clear if Wilson’s injury will be season-ending), the same can’t be said for Jones, who is the team’s starter.
As a 28-year-old running back (and one who will turn 29 on Dec. 2) he is far closer to the end of his starring days than the beginning. For the unaware, many consider 30 to be the unofficial “end” of a running back’s productivity.
Jones inked a four-year, $48 million contract with the Packers in 2021, but took a pay cut to stay with the only NFL team he’s ever suited up for (the Packers were considering cutting Jones for cap-saving purposes.)
According to Spotrac, Jones has just one year left on that renegotiated deal.
As of Sunday afternoon, the Packers officially have one healthy running back on the roster: second-string running back AJ Dillon (Jones is the starter, Wilson is the third-string back).
The Packers, now 4-6, actually still have an outside chance at making the playoffs though that task got considerably harder for up-and-down starting quarterback Jordan Love without his starting running back.
The Chargers, meanwhile, fell to the same 4-6 record as the Packers, a mild disappointment for a team that many had pegged as a playoff lock. The Chargers also suffered a brutal blow in the loss, losing superstar pass rusher Joey Bosa to a foot injury on the opening drive.
The Packers next play on Thanksgiving, so they won’t have much time to lick their wounds when they travel to face the division-leading Detroit Lions.
The Chargers, meanwhile, will play in the Thanksgiving weekend main event, when they host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.
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