The Minnesota Vikings got a lot worse on Tuesday afternoon, when it was announced that Kirk Cousins was leaving town to sign with the Atlanta Falcons. Since then, though, they’ve been doing everything within their power to get better, agreeing to terms with five pending unrestricted free agents, establishing themselves as one of the more active teams during the first 18 hours of the NFL negotiating period.
They started on defense, signing three front-eight starters, including EDGE Jonathan Greenard, along with linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel and (former Gopher) Blake Cashman. And it might only be 8 a.m. but since the calendar flipped to Tuesday, they’ve inked their short-term free agent answer at QB, Sam Darnold (12:04 a.m.), a new kicker John Parker Romo and, this just in, former Packers running back Aaron Jones.
Minnesota Vikings are signing Aaron Jones
Grab your purple sombreros, RB Aaron Jones is expected to join the Minnesota Vikings, per sources. pic.twitter.com/9HBW6CBlUt
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 12, 2024
Reports started surfacing linking Jones to Minnesota on Monday, rather shortly after the Packers signed Josh Jacobs (26-years-old) and cut ties with their 29-year-old former pro bowler. Jones’ deal is worth 1-year, $7 million.
Aaron Jones has probably been the most consistent producer of any running back in the NFC North since, probably, Adrian Peterson. If not for seemingly yearly injury issues, which isn’t out of the ordinary for a running back, that wouldn’t even need a “probably”.
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Jones has gone for over 1,000 yards in three of the last five years. He only played 11 games in 2023, running for 656 yards and 2 touchdowns. His best season from a yardage standpoint came as recently as 2022, when he went for 1,121 yards. His touchdown production has been non-existent lately (six rushing TDs in last three seasons), but he has shown an ability to find paydirt in the past, even rushing for a league high 16 touchdowns in 2019.
Aaron Jones in his final 5 games as a Green Bay Packer:
— Vikings Talk (@LetsTalk_Vikes) March 12, 2024
102 carries, 584 yards, 3 TDs#SKOL
pic.twitter.com/fNeSp7WYGx
The former UTEP Miner has a 5.0 YPC average during his 7-year NFL career, a number that has never dropped below 4.6 YPC in any of his seven NFL seasons. Even at 29 y/o, there is no doubt Jones will improve the Vikings significantly.
| Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rec | Rec | Rec | Rec | Rec | Total | Total | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G | GS | Att | Yds | TD | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | Fmb |
| 2017 | 12 | 4 | 81 | 448 | 4 | 46 | 5.5 | 37.3 | 18 | 9 | 22 | 2.4 | 0 | 90 | 5.2 | 470 | 0 |
| 2018 | 12 | 8 | 133 | 728 | 8 | 67 | 5.5 | 60.7 | 35 | 26 | 206 | 7.9 | 1 | 159 | 5.9 | 934 | 1 |
| 2019 | 16 | 16 | 236 | 1084 | 16 | 56 | 4.6 | 67.8 | 68 | 49 | 474 | 9.7 | 3 | 285 | 5.5 | 1558 | 3 |
| 2020* | 14 | 14 | 201 | 1104 | 9 | 77 | 5.5 | 78.9 | 63 | 47 | 355 | 7.6 | 2 | 248 | 5.9 | 1459 | 2 |
| 2021 | 15 | 15 | 171 | 799 | 4 | 57 | 4.7 | 53.3 | 65 | 52 | 391 | 7.5 | 6 | 223 | 5.3 | 1190 | 2 |
| 2022 | 17 | 17 | 213 | 1121 | 2 | 36 | 5.3 | 65.9 | 72 | 59 | 395 | 6.7 | 5 | 272 | 5.6 | 1516 | 5 |
| 2023 | 11 | 11 | 142 | 656 | 2 | 39 | 4.6 | 59.6 | 43 | 30 | 233 | 7.8 | 1 | 172 | 5.2 | 889 | 2 |
| Care | 97 | 85 | 1177 | 5940 | 45 | 77 | 5.0 | 61.2 | 364 | 272 | 2076 | 7.6 | 18 | 1449 | 5.5 | 8016 | 15 |
Generated 3/11/2024.