How should the Packers plan for their future at running back?

Yesterday, Acme Packing Company wrote about the uncertainties at the running back position league-wide and the options that the Green Bay Packers have at the position moving forward. Today, we want to hear from you about what the team should do.

We’re going to run two running back-centric polls, the first asking if you’d let Aaron Jones walk after the 2023 season, based on his slated cap hit, and the second asking if you’d extend AJ Dillon, based on his projected contract value.

Keep Aaron Jones in 2024?

Despite being listed as a starter, Jones is more of a co-starter in a backfield shared with Dillon — who handles most of the short-yardage and goal-line carries. Due to two restructures (2022 and 2023), Jones will carry a $17.7 million cap hit in 2024, even though he’ll only receive $12 million in cash from the team — if he is retained by the Packers.

At minimum, Green Bay is on the hook for a $12.3 million cap hit in 2024 if Jones’ career with the Packers ends after this year. If he’s kept by the team, he’ll have a $17.7 million cap hit in 2024 and leave a $7.4 million cap hit for the 2025 season, the year he’s set to become an unrestricted free agent. That $7.4 million cap hit is due to the void-year structure that Green Bay accepted while turning Jones’ 2022 and 2023 salaries into bonuses to push cap payments into the future.

Extend AJ Dillon?

According to Spotrac, the projected contract for Dillon is in the ballpark of a three-year, $13.8 million deal that would pay him like the 17th-ranked back in the league. An average per year of $4.6 million is just shy of what Mile Sanders ($6.35 million per) and David Montgomery ($6 million per) received on the open market this offseason.

Dillons’ contract will run out with the Packers after this season, meaning he’s set to be a member of the 2024 free agency class. Other running backs slated to hit the open market next offseason include Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Josh Jacobs, Austin Ekeler, Saquon Barkley, Tony Pollard, D’Andre Swift and JK Dobbins.

Scroll down to the comments to let us know how you voted and why you voted for what you did. I’m interested in hearing out the thought processes. Personally, I’m unsure about either running back’s situation going into 2024 on an individual level, but I doubt the team will let both of their backs walk at the same time.