The Green Bay Packers may have a veteran running back in mind if free agent Aaron Jones does not return in 2021.
According to ESPN’s Dianna Russini, there are rumors that the Packers would be interested in running Chris Carson back if they lose Jones at the free agency.
“Chris Carson is a name I heard around if Aaron Jones doesn’t come back,” said Russini on “The Pat McAfee Show”.
Jones, a professional player for the first time in 2020, is expected to be coveted as one of the best free offensive agents when the league’s new year begins later this month. If the Packers do not mark it as a franchise or agree to the terms of a long-term agreement before the free agency starts, Jones will likely leave Green Bay and find a lucrative multi-year deal on the open market.
Carson, who ran 3,270 yards and scored 28 touchdowns in 45 games over his first four seasons in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks, could help the Packers fill a Jones-sized gap in the running back.
Pro Football Focus recently chose Carson as the perfect combination of free agent for Packers.
“Hidden in Seattle, Carson has been one of the best runners in the league for the past few seasons, ranking in the top 10 running backs in each of the previous three seasons and ranking third among running backs in yards after contact by attempt ( 3.4) over the years ”, wrote Seth Galina of PFF.
Carson ran for more than 1,100 yards in 2018-2019. He scored nine touchdowns in total during each of the past three years, although he has also failed 11 times in his career.
A tough runner with a 4.6-yard career average and a capable receiver off the field, Carson fits the profile of a player who could play the role of Aaron Jones in the Packers attack. And although Jones will find a lucrative market at the free agency, it is possible that Carson will end up being a bargain.
A tandem running back by Carson and AJ Dillon could be effective and economical.
Hiring Carson at a free agency would likely mean that the Packers would lose Jones and Jamaal Williams, who combined for more than 2,000 total yards during each of the past two seasons.