Aaron Jones’ Contract Numbers And Cap Hits Emerge
The Minnesota Vikings didn’t wait for the free agency period to officially open to add players to the 2025 roster. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made sure to keep a trio of his long list of impending free agents in the building, starting with safety Theo Jackson, who could be intended for a promotion.
Aaron Jones’ Contract Numbers And Cap Hits Emerge
On Sunday, the club also handed out a pair of contracts to punter Ryan Wright and running back Aaron Jones.
Wright was a restricted free agent, and the Vikings re-signed him to a one-year deal. His performances have been a mixed bag during his tenure with the franchise. He might receive some competition throughout the spring and summer.
Jones’ deal, surely, is the most significant contract Adofo-Mensah agreed to among those three. The veteran rusher will earn $20 million for two seasons of his service; $13 million is guaranteed.
Those were the initially reported numbers. Some more details emerged a little later.
Over The Cap, the site where contract information can reliably be found, noted, “Aaron Jones signed a two-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings worth $20 million with $11.5 million fully guaranteed and $13 million in total guarantees. If on the roster on the 3rd day of the 2026 league year, $2 million will be fully guaranteed. There are per-game bonuses of $350,000 in 2025 and $850,000 in 2026.”
The Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling added on X, “Aaron Jones still had three void years left in his old deal, so adding his new money to the dead money from his old contract, he should have a $4.8 million cap number for 2025.”
Jones’s salary cap numbers for the next three years:
- 2025: $4.8 million
- 2026: $12.8 million
- 2027: $5.6 million (void year)
Jones will not be under contract for the 2027 season, but the void years will result in a dead cap hit of $5.6 million. In exchange for that, the Vikings enjoyed a low cap hit in 2024 and will once again have that benefit in 2025.
Cutting the rusher after the 2025 campaign would result in a dead cap hit of $10.4 million, save $2.4 million against the cap in 2026, and erase the dead cap hit in 2027.
A restructure next offseason is possible, but it all depends on his play in the upcoming season. Jones is 30, and it is a little risky to give a running back of that age a two-year contract.
However, Jones was explosive last year, producing more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns, being a massive upgrade over Alexander Mattison, his predecessor.
He had a strong start to the season but suffered a few minor injuries throughout the season. Those undoubtedly slowed him down and kept him out of a few second halves. Still, he played in all 18 games and remained one of the better running backs in the NFL.
In February, Kevin O’Connell was asked about his ball-carrier, and he was full of praise for his veteran: “The big thing for me is we loved having Aaron Jones; the impact he had. He was really, for the better part of his career, part of backfield committees, and for the most part, Aaron Jones was the featured back, played 17 games, he was able to be durable, over 1,500 yards all-purpose for us, catching the ball out of the backfield, running it at an elite level, so I would love to have Aaron back.”
Jones turned 30 in December. The Vikings will likely attempt to pair him with a more youthful running back, perhaps adding one in the draft, to keep him fresh and healthy.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt