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Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Aaron Jones feared the worst when he was carted off Lambeau Field, towel over his head and hands over his face, in the second quarter of Sunday’s 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Feeling relieved and emotional, the starting running back of the Green Bay Packers revealed that initial tests showed he avoided a major ACL tear and other significant damage to his knee.
“Like if it’s my ACL, then I’m done for the season,” Jones said when asked what he was thinking. “But caught a break. Hopefully it’s not anything serious and I’m back here pretty soon.”
Jones missed three games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury.
It’s unlikely that Jones or backup running back Emanuel Wilson (shoulder) will be available for the quick-turnaround game at Detroit on Thursday, so the Packers will almost certainly have to sign at least one back.
“I don’t think it’s long term,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Jones’ injury. “But he’s in good spirits in there and so hopefully it’s just a short-term deal.”
Both players will undergo tests Monday that will determine the timeline for a return.
Wilson was injured on the same drive as Jones. That drive ended with a 28-yard field goal to tie the game at 10-10 just before halftime and left the Packers with only one healthy running back: AJ Dillon, who finished the game with 14 carries for 29 yards.
According to Jones, “So they went to go tackle me on the right, like my right foot. They missed and I kinda picked it up and it was laying on the defender’s helmet and my left leg was in the ground and somebody had me and my cleats were in the ground and I think it was Kenneth Murray comes down and I’m already like kinda low and I just absorbed all of that, that was in the ground — knee, hip and groin — it felt awful.”
The Packers’ medical staff told Jones to stay in the locker room and watch the rest of the game on TV. But after several players, including Christian Watson and Devonte Wyatt, came up to him at halftime and told him they were going to pull out a win, Jones made his way back to the sideline with about 13 minutes left in the game.
From there, he watched Jordan Love (322 yards and two touchdowns) complete one of his finest performances with a 24-yard, go-ahead touchdown to Romeo Doubs with 2:33 remaining.
“It’s definitely tough,” Watson said of seeing Jones go down. “Regardless of the player he is, just the leader he is, the man … I mean, we need him in that huddle. We need him on that sideline, so it’s definitely tough to see him go down. But I think everybody wanted to get that one done for him and we’re always in his corner.”
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