Packers' Aaron Jones embracing underdog role

Running back Aaron Jones doesn't mind people sleeping on the Green Bay Packers now that they no longer have Aaron Rodgers as their starting quarterback. 

"I'm used to it, being an underdog or being slept on, personally, so it's a position I love to be in," Jones explained, per Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers' website. "Nobody sees you coming at all. Everybody's relaxed when they're thinking about you, or they don't think you're capable of it."

Jones was referring to his experience of falling to the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft before he landed with the Packers. Green Bay found a true RB1 who became a one-time Pro Bowl selection with that pick, and Jones will now take on a different role behind the scenes following Rodgers' departure to the New York Jets. 

2020 first-round draft choice Jordan Love, Green Bay's new QB1, is very much an unproven commodity with just 83 career regular-season passes on his résumé. In his latest "Football Morning in America" column, NBC Sports' Peter King listed Green Bay at No. 21 in his NFL power rankings, and OddsChecker had the Packers as the top betting underdogs at +500 odds to win the NFC North title as of Thursday afternoon. 

Jones sounds quite unbothered regarding such takes. 

"When you prove people wrong, it's one of the best feelings in the world," Jones remarked. "I think that's what we're going to do this year – prove a lot of people wrong. We're not worried about anybody's opinions. We know what's going to be written out there or where they're going to have us selected to finish."

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has insisted Love "needs to play" and is "ready to play." If individuals associated with the franchise such as Gutekunst and Jones are right about Love, those inside the Green Bay locker room will enjoy some fun victory laps come January.