Photo: Dave Anderson / Unsplash
By Charles Collier
On March 11, 2024, the Packers made a splash in the free agency market, signing running back Josh Jacobs and safety Xavier McKinney.
The former Raider Jacobs is one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL and will be an additional weapon for Jordan Love. Jacobs is elusive, fast, and powerful. He has been selected to two Pro Bowls and led the NFL in rushing in the 2022-2023 season with 1,653 rushing yards. The move made long-time Packers’ running back Aaron Jones expendable, and he was released by the Packers. Jones, a fan-favorite, has played his entire seven-year career with the Packers, and leaves with the third-most rushing yards in team history. According to Pat McAfee, “the Packers wanted to cut Aaron Jones salary by 50%. Aaron Jones wasn’t willing to take that pay cut and they moved on to Josh Jacobs.” Don’t feel too bad for Aaron Jones though; he landed on his feet by signing a one year 7-million-dollar contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
The signing of safety Xavier McKinney addresses a glaring need in the Packers’ secondary. McKinney gives first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a versatile playmaker to build his defense around. The Packers hired former Boston College head coach Hafley on January 30, 2024, just a week after the Packers had fired defensive coordinator Joe Barry.
Xavier McKinney was selected in the second round of the 2020 out of Alabama. He had his best season last year and is expected to make an immediate impact on the Packers’ defense this season. Furthermore, he can play anywhere in Hafley’s defense – deep third, box, slot, and some press cornerback. Gutekunst, Green Bay’s general manager, said this about the secondary at the end of last season: “I think the back end is probably where we weren’t as consistent as we needed to and I’d like that to be shored up … There will probably be some moving pieces going into next year.” The signing of Xavier McKinney is a step in the right direction!
In other news around the NFL, the Steelers signed former Broncos QB Russell Wilson to a one-year deal. Atlanta signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract, including a $50 million signing bonus. Over the years, Kirk Cousins has had his doubters. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton is one of them, stating that, “It’s extremely alarming that he [Cousins] only had one playoff win in 12 years: he’s coming off a season ending Achilles injury. It’s definitely alarming to see.” The Baltimore Ravens made arguably the biggest move in free agency this year by signing Derek Henry to a two-year, $16 million contract. The signing keeps the Ravens as a team to watch next year. The
Packers caught other teams by surprise during their playoff run last season. Let’s hope the Packers’ recent signing will keep them in Super Bowl contention next season.