Tag: Aaron Jones

2025 NFL Free Agency: Projected value of Aaron Jones’ next contract

With Aaron Jones scheduled to hit the free agent market again in 2025, and coming off a career year, will he be back in Minnesota next year?

The Minnesota Vikings have many difficult questions to answer this offseason before they prepare for the 2025 season. One that no one wants to think about is, “Will Aaron Jones be back in Minnesota for 2025?”

For the first seven years of his career, Jones was a solid running back for the division-rival Green Bay Packers. Jones wracked up nearly 6,000 yards, made one Pro Bowl, and led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2019 with 16.

Yet his one season with the Vikings was arguably the best of his career. After hitting the free agent market with the Packers letting Jones walk due in part to injuries and aging, Jones became the featured back for the Vikings, getting the most carries and rushing yards of his career.

Now, Jones is scheduled to hit the free agent market again, which begs the question: What sort of contract can Jones expect next season, and should the Vikings be the ones to offer it?

According to the projections from the team at Spotrac, Jones would once again be on a one-year deal with his next team. The deal he signed with the Vikings before last off-season signed a one-year deal worth $7 million — that the Vikings spread out over several years thanks to the use of void years.

According to the Spotrac team, Jones’ new deal would clock in just under what the Vikings gave Jones last season. Jones’ market value is at just $5.6 million for one season. At that rate, it might be tempting for the Vikings to keep Jones around for another season.

Jones had a strong season in 2024, especially considering the lackluster performance of the offensive line in front of him. The Vikings figure to use some — if not a large portion — of their projected $63.8 million in cap space to improve the interior of their offensive line. Those improvements and Jones’ performance last season may bode well for a Jones return.

However, Jones has been injury-prone in the past, and he will turn 31 towards the end of next season. Running backs tend to fall off a cliff after their age-30 season, so the decline is likely just a matter of time for Jones. Would general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah want to sink valuable resources into bringing back an aging running back?

If the Vikings were strapped for cap space, it would be easy to let Jones walk and get paid elsewhere. However, with over $60 million to spend, and Jones being healthy and having a career year last season, it could be well worth the investment if Jones is willing to come back for a slight pay cut.

Vikings RB Aaron Jones named ideal fit for new team in 2025

ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak believes running back Aaron Jones could be a perfect fit for a team other than the Minnesota Vikings in 2025.

The running game in Minnesota has been lackluster for the past two seasons. Last year, running backs Alexander Mattison and Cam Akers had their moments, but overall failed to fill the shoes left behind by former running back Dalvin Cook.

This season, the running game got a little bit better with the introduction of former Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones. Jones had the best rushing season of his career in 2024 with the Vikings, running for 1,138 yards and a 4.5 yards-per-carry average. He also had one of his best years as a receiver, hauling in 51 receptions for 408 yards. Yet it still felt like there was something missing from the Vikings’ rushing attack.

A lot of that can be chalked up to the deficiencies along the offensive line, which may give the Vikings the idea to run it back with Jones in 2025. However, Jones effectively signed a one-year deal with the team in the offseason, and is likely to hit free agency this offseason.

One NFL analyst believes the best stop for Jones may not be Minnesota, but instead a trip out west to the AFC with the Denver Broncos. In a recent column for ESPN, NFL analyst Benjamin Solak identified Jones’ as a great fit for the Broncos rushing attack, saying:

Denver will start to elevate their offense at running back, where their rotation has been lacking a reliable grinder who can handle 15-plus touches per game. Aaron Jones, should he become available, is an ideal fit on a front-loaded three-year deal.

The Vikings are projected to have plenty of salary cap space heading into the 2025 offseason, and Jones had a strong season for the in 2024. It would make sense for the Vikings to want to keep him in purple and gold and turn to the offensive line to improve their rushing attack.

However, with a strong running backs class in the 2025 NFL Draft, and large free-agent contracts historically not working out well, Minnesota could opt to let Jones leave for a team like Denver and try to find his replacement in the draft, leaving that money to be spent elsewhere — perhaps on the defensive backfield they’ll have to find numerous starters for.

Kevin O’Connell provides injury updates on key players after Week 17

Kevin O’Connell gave injury updates on two key players who left Sunday’s game.

The Minnesota Vikings have had relatively good health throughout the 2024 season. Outside of Christian Darrisaw being lost for the season with an ACL injury, most of the roster was healthy heading into Week 17’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

However, the Vikings did have two notable players leave Sunday’s game due to injury. EDGE rusher Pat Jones II left the game after a low block from Packers tight end Tucker Kraft.

“It’s a right knee injury,” Kevin O’Connell said after the game. “Hopefully, we avoided a super long-term injury, but I won’t know more than that until he gets [thoroughly] evaluated. [I expect him] to miss a little bit of time.”

But the team got good news on Monday. According to Sports Illustrated‘s Will Ragatz, O’Connell believes Jones will “have a chance to even possibly make it this week.”

According to O’Connell, Aaron Jones was held out for most of the second half with a quad contusion.

On Monday, O’Connell said that Jones is “doing well,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. O’Connell added that the injury “should not keep him from participating this week.”

This is good news, as the Vikings face a Lions team that has had more than its fair share of injuries.

 

Vikings offense makes more history Sunday vs. Seahawks

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold put himself and the team in the NFL record books in multiple ways on Sunday vs. the Seahawks.

The Minnesota Vikings offense has been no stranger to the record books this season. Despite many believing 2024 would be a down season for the Vikings after handing the reigns over to Sam Darnold, the Vikings have exceeded all expectations to become one of the top offenses — and teams — in the entire league.

The tandem of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison has been instrumental in the Vikings’ success this season, with both players topping 800 yards and grabbing 8+ touchdowns. They also became the first tandem in team history to have 100+ yards, and each of them caught two touchdowns in their game against Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons.

In the team’s second game against the Chicago Bears this season, Darnold and running back Aaron Jones got in on the assault on the Vikings’ record books. In that game, the Vikings had their first game with a 300+ yard passer, 100+ yard rusher, and two 100+ yard receivers in more than 20 years.

On Sunday, though, it wasn’t just the team record books that a member of the Vikings had their eyes on, it was the NFL record books. Darnold etched both his name and the Vikings as a team in the record books on Sunday with his performance against the Seattle Seahawks. On an individual note, Darnold finished the game with a quarterback rating of 112.3, making Sunday the 12th game. Darnold has had a quarterback rating of over 100, which is an NFL record for a quarterback in his first season with a team.

Darnold wasn’t done there, however. With his three touchdown passes on Sunday, Darnold not only extended his career-high mark to 32, he also made history for the Minnesota Vikings. With Darnold’s first touchdown, his 30th of the season, the Vikings became the first team in league history to have six quarterbacks with one or more seasons of 30+ touchdown passes. Darnold joins Kirk Cousins, Brett Favre, Daunte Culpepper, Randall Cunningham, and Warren Moon in that illustrious club.

Pretty good for a quarterback that nearly everyone counted out at the beginning of the season.

5 takeaways from the Vikings win over the Bears on Monday Night

The Minnesota Vikings had a lot to play for, and they put their foot to the floor and never let up after a strong first half. Brian Flores had Caleb Williams in pieces mentally from the pressure and coverage they were giving him. On offense, Kevin …

The Minnesota Vikings had a lot to play for, and they put their foot to the floor and never let up after a strong first half. Brian Flores had Caleb Williams in pieces mentally from the pressure and coverage they were giving him. On offense, Kevin O’Connell and Wes Phillips used a trial-and-error approach before finding some footing.

Either way, you look, the tone was set in the first quarter, and the Vikings never looked back as the Bears had no chance.

The Bears were held scoreless in the first half, and in the second half, they could never find the endzone. The Vikings played for a lot on Monday Night, and they delivered for everyone from Randy Moss to their fans.

Here are five takeaways from the one-sided meeting between the Vikings and Bears on Monday night.

Brian Flores saw what the Bears and Caleb Williams gave him in their first matchup, and he must have said to himself, “That is not happening again.” He shut out the Bears offense in the first half and smothered them in pressures all game. He also dominated them on third down and was able to force turnovers to leave Caleb Williams and this offense feeling lost from the first whistle. Flores is in his bag right now, and the Vikings will be lucky to keep him on staff in 2025.

When Brian O’Neill left the game, we saw the pressure immediately come from the Bears’ front seven. The team cannot overcome an injured Brian O’Neill this late in the season, so it is paramount that if he does miss time, they figure something out. Whether it be they line up Johnny Mundt or Nick Muse on that edge to help David Quessenberry out or give Sam Darnold more safety valves. Either way, this offensive line has proven to be more important than the quarterback because without one you can’t have the other.

Both members of the turnover dance duo, Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus, are set to be free agents in 2025. The Vikings can afford one high-price safety, but can they afford two? Metellus is playing at a Pro Bowl level in 2024, and his versatility only increases his value. It will be interesting to see how he performs down the stretch because he is getting paid, but by whom?

The Brian Flores defense came into Week 15, leading the NFL with a 39% blitz rate. That aggressive defense allows for the offense to be aggressive. The defense is forcing turnovers and stopping teams on third downs, and when you have that, the offense can take more chances. The Vikings went for it more on fourth down; they are pushing the ball down the field, and being able to do those things against the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles can make a difference in those expected playoff matchups.

The offense struggled in the first half and into the third, but everything settled down once they started leaning on Aaron Jones. They were using him at running back, receiver, and even tight end in certain alignments including one that saw him convert a third and 16 on a run after the catch. Sam Darnold is great, the wide receivers are elite, and they have a top five tight end but it is the veteran running back who makes all the difference in the world for this offense.

Vikings depth chart heading into Week 14 against the Falcons

The Minnesota Vikings are hitting their stride to the tune of a second five-game winning streak. The team showed a lot of heart coming back against the Cardinals after they were down 13. The comeback The Vikings roster has had players emerge and …

The Minnesota Vikings are hitting their stride to the tune of a second five-game winning streak. The team showed a lot of heart coming back against the Cardinals after they were down 13. The comeback

The Vikings roster has had players emerge and become playmakers of their own.

The offense has seen some newer faces, especially Josh Oliver, emerge and make plays in recent weeks. The veteran tight end has proven to be a security blanket for Darnold but is banged up coming out of the Titans game. On defense, they lost Ivan Pace Jr. but added former first-round pick Jamin Davis.

These are just some of the players and stories on the depth chart expected to see some playing time. Here is everyone else and where they stand on the chart.

  • Sam Darnold
  • Nick Mullens
  • Aaron Jones
  • Cam Akers
  • Ty Chandler
  • Justin Jefferson
  • Jordan Addison
  • Jalen Nailor
  • Brandon Powell
  • Trent Sherfield Sr.
  • T.J. Hockenson
  • Johnny Mundt
  • Josh Oliver

Left Tackle

  • Cam Robinson
  • Walter Rouse

Right Tackle

  • Brian O’Neill
  • David Quessenberry

Left Guard

  • Blake Brandel
  • Dalton Risner

Right Guard

  • Ed Ingram*
  • Dan Feeney
  • Garrett Bradbury
  • Michael Jurgens

Defensive End

  • Jonathan Bullard
  • Jalen Redmond

Nose Tackle

  • Harrison Phillips

Defensive Tackle

  • Jerry Tillery
  • Levi Drake Rodriguez

Outside Linebacker

  • Jonathan Greenard
  • Andrew Van Ginkel
  • Dallas Turner
  • Patrick Jones II
  • Jihad Ward
  • Bo Richter

Inside Linebacker

  • Blake Cashman
  • Brian Asamoah II
  • Kamu Grugier-Hill
  • Jamin Davis

Outside Cornerbacks

  • Stephon Gilmore
  • Shaq Griffin
  • Dwight McGlothern
  • Byron Murphy Jr.
  • Fabien Moreau

Nickel

  • Joshua Metellus
  • Theo Jackson
  • Harrison Smith
  • Camryn Bynum
  • Jay Ward

After tough start Aaron Jones gives Vikings go-ahead score

The first-year Viking had a rough start, but finished strong when it mattered.

It hasn’t been a fun few weeks for Viking running back Aaron Jones. The former Green Bay Packer has what appears to be some butterfingers when it comes to holding onto the football. On the game’s first possession, Jones fumbled the ball twice and the second time ended up going to the Cardinals.

To make matters worse, when the Vikings needed touchdowns, Jones missed a touchdown catch from Sam Darnold.

But once the Viking defense gave the Minnesota offense another chance, Jones didn’t disappoint. The Vikings marched down the field thanks to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The drive was capped off when Darnold hit the struggling Jones for a five-yard score to give Minnesota a 23-22 lead.

The Vikings’ defense would hold on the next drive. Kyler Murray would go on to throw his second interception of the day — this time to Shaq Griffin. Minnesota moves to 10-2 on the season.

Pro Bowl Voting is now open, vote for your favorite Vikings players

On Monday, the NFL announced that Pro Bowl voting is now open which means you can vote for your favorite Vikings players. 

The Pro Bowl has had its ups and downs over the years, but it has never ceased to give us memorable moments. From Sean Taylor derailing a punter on a trick play to Tyreek Hill and Justin Jefferson toying with defenders in flag football, we get memories out of these events, and you, the fans, get to decide who makes those for you.

On Monday, the NFL announced that Pro Bowl voting is now open, which means you can vote for your favorite Vikings players.

Most positions allow you to vote for up to six players in each of them. Some Vikings who could get your vote on offense are Sam Darnold during his breakout season. Aaron Jones already has over 1,000 yards of offense and deserves your vote. Of course, Justin Jefferson will always get some votes but don’t forget about Jordan Addison.

On defense, the edge-rushing duo of Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel has almost 20 sacks between them. Blake Cashman has proven to be a difference-maker on that side of the ball.

When you vote for these guys, make sure you don’t forget about Will Reichard, either.

Vikings offense accomplishes feat not seen in nearly 25 years

With the Vikings offensive outburst on Sunday, they notched a 300+ passer, 100+ rusher, and two 100+ receivers for the first time since 2000

The game started off ugly for the Minnesota Vikings, with an early turnover deep in Chicago territory, and with two key players going down with injury. The game ended ugly, with the Vikings’ defense allowing 17 fourth-quarter points to the Bears, pushing the game to overtime before ultimately coming out on top for their fourth-straight win.

But somewhere in the middle, there was a highly competent offense – something that Vikings fans haven’t seen much of these days. Even during the recent four-game win streak, consistent high-level play from the offense has been hard to come by. Yet on Sunday against the Bears, the Vikings were able to pull off a feat they haven’t accomplished since November of 2000.

With the Vikings’ offensive output on Sunday, they notched a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher, and not one but two 100-yard receivers in a single game for the first time in nearly a quarter-century. Quarterback Sam Darnold threw all over the Vikings’ secondary to the tune of a 116.1 quarterback rating, 330 yards passing, and two touchdowns.

His two favorite targets on Sunday, wide receiver Jordan Addison and tight end T.J. Hockenson, did most of the heavy lifting for the offense. Both players were targeted nine times on the day, with Addison coming down with eight of his nine targets for 162 yards – a whopping 20.3 yard-per-catch average – and a touchdown. Hockenson was able to capitalize seven times on his targets for 114 yards, himself.

Not to be outdone by his pass-catching counterparts, Aaron Jones got in on the offensive onslaught, too. Jones carried the ball 22 times on the day for just over 100 yards (106, in total), including a 41-yard burst that has rarely been seen by the Vikings’ rushing attack over the past two seasons. And just for good measure, Jones also added three receptions of his own for 23 yards.

Vikings fans can’t realistically expect this sort of offensive outburst from the Vikings consistently going forward. But Sunday’s game was a good example of just how potent the Vikings’ offense can be when it’s firing on all cylinders.

WATCH: Bears muffed punt leads to Vikings touchdown

The Bears thought they would get the ball back down seven, but the Vikings ended up two scores after Chicago’s mistake.

After the Vikings took a 17-10 lead, Minnesota and Chicago both remained stagnant offensively and neither team could move the ball much let alone score. But things changed after Sam Darnold missed Justin Jefferson on a third down.

Minnesota was forced to punt, and when Ryan Wright punted the ball away, Chicago’s DeAndre Carter muffed the punt, and Vikings’ UDFA Bo Richter recovered the ball at Chicago’s 15-yard line. Darnold then hit Jordan Addison to get closer, and running back Aaron Jones capped it off with a two-yard touchdown run to give Minnesota a 24-10 lead toward the end of the third quarter.

With Jones scoring that touchdown, a wild stat came with it.

That was the Vikings’ first second-half rushing touchdown by a running back in 27 games. They were 4 games away from tying the record held by the Dayton Triangles.

Minnesota is currently up 24-10 at the end of the third quarter. The Vikings will have the ball to start the fourth.