Dear Green Bay Packers fans attending this weekend’s game against the Minnesota Vikings: We can’t let Aaron Jones do a Lambeau Leap if he scores a touchdown.
Jones said he will “definitely” leap if he scores against the Packers.
I will be the first to admit this is incredibly conflicting. I am writing this looking at a framed signed Jones jersey. He was one of the first pro athletes I ever got to interview. As a player and a person, Jones was the embodiment of what it meant to “Carry The G” as a member of the Green Bay Packers.
He was great on the field, the 2019 rushing touchdown leader, and a 2020 Pro Bowler. Off the field, he was incredibly charitable, always giving back to the Greater Green Bay area, signing autographs for kids, and so much more.
When the Packers released Jones this offseason, it was a tough blow to fans everywhere, a stark reminder that the NFL is a business. Jones was crucial to the team’s late-season push to make the playoffs and a huge part of the playoff win against Dallas. Behind the scenes, he was a team player, taking a pay cut to help get the team out of salary cap trouble.
After the Packers signed Josh Jacobs, there was brief hope they would have the league’s best backfield. The initial excitement quickly turned to the bittersweet feeling of watching Jones leave and, like many others have done before him, go to the “arch-rival” Minnesota Vikings.
As stated, I don’t blame Jones for going anywhere, including the Vikings. Athletes have such a limited window to make money. The team chose to move on. That is their right to do as a business, and for Jones, it is his right to find a deal that gives him the most possible money and the best fit for him both as a player and for his family.
We love Aaron Jones, but he can’t do a Lambeau Leap against the Packers
Like many, I was touched by Aaron’s piece in The Players’ Tribune this week. The love that he had for Green Bay was so evident. Like many, I wish him nothing but the best with Minnesota, except for the 120 minutes he plays against the Packers this season.
As much love as we have had for Jones as a player, we can’t let him do a Lambeau Leap. It is not personal at all. It is not as any sort of “revenge” for going to “the enemy.” However, the fact of the matter is that Jones is a member of the Vikings, and opponents shouldn’t be doing one of the Packers’ valued traditions.
We wouldn’t have let Brett Favre do it when he was a Viking. We wouldn’t let Aaron Rodgers do it if the New York Jets played at Lambeau. We wouldn’t have let Cris Carter, Randy Moss, or Justin Jefferson jump into the stands.
So what makes Jones any different? Yes, he was here, and yes, we loved him, but he is an opponent.
This may be an old-school way of thinking. I love fantasy football, and I don’t hate anyone who roots for opposing players on a personal level. I do it, too. I am rooting for Jones as a whole, but this is Lambeau Field—the sacred grounds. Football fans come from across the world and make the “pilgrimage” to Lambeau to see the team Hall of Fame museum, do a stadium tour, and see the field where Starr, Favre, White, Nitschke, Driver, Rodgers, and so many more Packers legends played.
Times are always changing, and homefield doesn’t necessarily mean what it used to. This Sunday, though, please put aside the fandom of Jones for 60 minutes of football, and be a Packers fan for that time.
Cheer him out of the tunnel, if you’d like. Clap his first carry, if you must, but do not let any opponent jump into our stands.
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