Well, we know who won’t be the Green Bay Packers’ starting running back when they open the season. It won’t be Aaron Jones.
Jones will be gone for the first two games of the season. He’s been suspended for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
The suspension stems from his arrest last October. Jones was pulled over and during the traffic stop he admitted to smoking weed.
And you know the NFL can’t have dudes smoking weed, something that is completely legal in nine states and medically legal in 30. Wisconsin, of course, has thus far been too stupid to get on that train. Don’t need the extra tax dollars, it seems.
These suspensions are always inevitable, of course. And Jones wasn’t the only guy to get The Ginger Hammer.
To recap the NFL’s typical pre-July 4 fireworks:
Packers’ RB Aaron Jones suspended two games for Substance Abuse Policy.
Rams’ OL Jamon Brown suspended two games for the same.
And 49ers’ LB Reuben Foster also suspended two games for same policy violation.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 3, 2018
He is, however, as far as we know, the only guy suspended who helps old ladies at the airport.
We would suspect tight end Lance Kendricks will also be getting some sort of suspension. He was arrested in the exact same fashion last September. However, he never got charged as far as we know, so we’ll see.
There is an arrest video out there, however.
So what does this do to the Packers’ running back competition?
We would put money on Jones to lead that three-man committee, which also features Ty Montgomery and Jamaal Williams. It really appears that the Packers will end up leading with Montgomery now. At least until he gets injured, which hopefully won’t be in the first two games.
When Jones returns on September 17, he’s going to have to earn carries back.