Popular First-Year Viking Wants to Finish His Career in Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings had a remarkable 2024 offseason that helped turn around the franchise rather quickly after a one-year playoff drought with the addition of Sam Darnold at quarterback and a bunch of players on defense, especially Blake Cashman and the two Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard have made a difference.
Popular First-Year Viking Wants to Finish His Career in Minnesota
On offense, head coach Kevin O’Connell wanted an upgrade at the underwhelming running back position, and the front office granted that wish by acquiring running back Aaron Jones.
An aging player who the Packers thought they would be fine without, Jones simply crossed the border to join the purple side of the rivalry. Through his first 16 games, he has been one of the better running backs in football.
Still, he only signed a one-year contract and hopes to spend some more years in the Twin Cities.
Jones told the Pioneer Press this week, “This is an excellent place. This is where I hope to finish my career.”
His numbers are quite solid in the 2024 season after an injury-riddled 2023 campaign. He has rushed for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns, and he has been a reliable receiver with 378 yards and two touchdowns as an outlet for his quarterback.
His favorite number, however, is the 16 games played this year.
Pioneer Press‘ Dane Mizutani asked Jones if he was proud of playing every Vikings game this season. “Oh, definitely. I missed a handful of games and played through injuries as well, and with that, I guess the narrative got out that I was injury prone,” Jones stated. “It’s been nice to slash that narrative and throw it out the window. The guys know whatever I go through throughout the week I’m going to be ready.”
Last season, the Vikings ranked in the bottom five in most rushing categories. Alexander Mattison struggled in his role as RB1 following Dalvin Cook’s departure, and Ty Chandler doesn’t bring the necessary consistency, although he can make an occasional splash play.
After Jones was signed, head coach O’Connell said about his new RB:
“We’re going to run the football, and we want to establish it … I have every bit of the feelings towards Aaron Jones that you do; that’s why he’s here. I did offer to go and pick him up in Green Bay and help him get his stuff here as fast as possible when we heard it would be possible. Aaron Jones, Vikings fans, Skol Nation, everyone’s going to fall in love with this guy. Our building has already. He’s unique, he’s dynamic, and he could not be more excited to be part of our team and what it means to be part of this team.”
Jones agreed to a one-year contract worth $7 million. He is now 30 years old, and at some point, an age-related decline is unavoidable. Re-signing him still makes sense. The Vikings should plan ahead and use the draft to pair a young runner with the veteran.
Fellow runner Cam Akers, who became the hero against the Packers, is also scheduled to be a free agent, leaving Chandler once again as the only other option.
The franchise needs Jones healthy in the upcoming weeks to have a balanced offense. That is essential in the postseason. He’s currently battling a quad contusion, logging only limited practices on Wednesday and Thursday.
Editor’s Note: Information from 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