‘There’s kind of the anticipation he’ll be back.’ Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst talks Aaron Jones and other takeaways

GREEN BAY − If there's a chance Aaron Jones won't be back with the Green Bay Packers in 2024, you couldn't tell based on the words of general manager Brian Gutekunst on Thursday.

Gutekunst met with reporters for the first time since the Oct. 31 trade deadline, reflecting on a season that ended on a major hot streak, with wins in the final three regular-season games, a playoff victory in Dallas and near-miss in San Francisco.

Among the questions lobbed his way: Will Aaron Jones be back? The 29-year-old running back closed the season with five consecutive 100-yard rushing performances, the best stretch of his career, including a three-touchdown effort in Dallas.

"Yeah, absolutely. I think we’d love to have Aaron back," Gutekunst said. "We’re still kind of putting all those things together as far as how we want to move forward, but, I mean, he was such a difference maker when he was out there this year. The way our offense was able to move, he changed a lot of the way we operated when he was in there and when he was healthy.

"I think, for us, it’s finding a way to keep him out there and keep him healthy, but he was … such an influential leader in our locker room. He’s just really kind of the heartbeat of our team. That’s kind of the anticipation that he’ll be back."

Jones missed six games this season with injury and will be tricky to retain on his current salary, but he showed he still could be one of the best running backs in football on fresh legs.

Here are other takeaways from Gutekunst's availability.

What’s the latest with David Bakhtiari?

Veteran Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari missed all but one game this season, and the team can save $20 million if they cut him this offseason. Is there a scenario where he's back?

"We’re still at the beginning stages of looking at how we’re going to move forward with all that," Gutekunst said. "Obviously, David has been through a really rough stretch with the injury stuff. I mean, he’s gone through a very major surgery, trying to get back to be able to play. So we’re monitoring that. I know he’s working his tail off, and once we get down the road and see where he’s at health-wise, we’ll kind of make those decisions."

As for where Bakhtiari stands in his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery, "It’s going to take some time, but I know he’s got – obviously, you guys know his work ethic and how important it is for him to get back to playing – but this was a tough one. So he’s got a ways to go."

Will Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom be the starting tackles in 2024?

Part of the Bakhtiari question is whether the team has an adequate replacement. Gutekunst expressed optimism that Rasheed Walker at left tackle and Zach Tom at right tackle could be linchpins of the line going forward after both delivered in 2023.

“You've got to give that kid a lot of credit,” Gutekunst said of Walker. “First of all, his work ethic over the offseason and how tremendously he's improved. (He) fought through some things this year, injury-wise. He was a warrior out there. He's done a great job and I'm really glad we have him. He can play left and right (tackle). We'll see how it all shakes out. I'm hoping for a lot of competition in every room, including the offensive lineman room. He's got a bright future and we're really excited about him.”

Tom, meanwhile, quietly put together a spectacular season at right tackle. But does that mean he’s cemented at that spot in the future?

“I think we're going to try to get the five best guys we can out there at all times,” Gutekunst said. “It'll be our job to bring in some guys and have healthy competition out there. He played really well at right tackle this year. So, to move him around, I think for the coaching staff (would) be hard, but at the same time, he's probably a guy who can play all five spots and be really good at all five of them. It'll depend on who we have and where we need him.”

What’s Jaire Alexander’s status with the team after a late-season suspension?

Gutekunst flatly said "no" when asked if there was any expectation Jaire Alexander would be traded after a late-season suspension that sidelined him for a key game against Minnesota. Alexander came back to play the regular-season finale and both playoff games.

"At the end of the day, I think it allowed us all to reset, and I’m really proud of the way Jaire responded to that," Gutekunst said. "I really think that’s going to help us moving forward."

Was there any consideration to adding a kicker late in the season?

Rookie kicker Anders Carlson missed 12 kicks over the final 12 games of the season (including playoffs), but Gutekunst offered no indication that the team was seriously considering replacing him toward the end of the year. Carlson's missed 41-yard field goal loomed large in the 24-21 loss to San Francisco in the divisional round.

"Obviously, we work kickers out all the time, but as we went through the course of the season, we were committed to kind of going through the ups and downs a lot of young rookie kickers go through," Gutekunst said. "Certainly, what he went through is not anything different than what a lot of guys do. I think as we got toward the end of the season and we were heading toward the playoffs and had an opportunity to be in the playoffs … if there happened to be a veteran option out there that would have been really good, we would have maybe considered it. But there wasn’t. He was the best option by far. We’re really excited about where he’s going."

What about Christian Watson’s balky hamstring?

Gutekunst didn’t want to speak too much about the team’s decision to fire strength and conditioning coordinator Chris Gizzi, a decision that fell to coach Matt LaFleur, and instead offered praise for Gizzi, who's been on staff since 2014.

“Chris Gizzi's an outstanding strength coach,” Gutekunst said. “I couldn't have more respect for him. Sometimes there needs to be a different voice, and I'll let Matt (LaFleur) touch on what he's looking for. Those guys have a lot of impact on our players."

One of the issues the team has run into: recurring soft-tissue injuries, particularly with playmaking receiver Christian Watson, whose hamstrings have mitigated his availability throughout his first two seasons in the NFL.

“Sometimes I think it's just young players going into the National Football League, learning their bodies, learning what they can and can't do and how they have to train," Gutekunst said. "We've seen a ton of instances where young players struggle with that early in their careers and then get to a point where they overcome it and kind of get into a rhythm. I think Davante (Adams) was one of those guys. They learn their training routines and process individually. I think we're going to look at every option we can, not just with (Watson) but with a couple other guys, because certainly when he's out there he's an impactful player. He's very important to what we do.”

Ryan Wood and Pete Dougherty contributed to this story.