A Career-High Incoming for Aaron Jones?
When the Minnesota Vikings signed Aaron Jones this offseason, they did so to shore up a questionable position from last year. Gone is Alexander Mattison, and Kevin O’Connell now has a lethal combination. That may mean new heights for the former Green Bay Packer.
A Career-High Incoming for Aaron Jones?
Aaron Jones is no spring chicken, as he’ll be playing 2024 at 30 years old. He has missed time over the course of his career, though, and he has split time with other running backs. The hope is that Minnesota is getting a healthy and fresh version of the tailback, and O’Connell can deploy him in multiple situations.
Pairing Jones, an adept pass catcher, with Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy should present plenty of opportunity. While T.J. Hockenson is on the shelf for the beginning of the season, the Vikings will be looking for other checkdown options. Robert Tonyan could provide some of that, but the running back position will also be relied upon.
Back in 2019, Jones tallied 474 yards through the air. His 68 targets were a career-high, but the 49 receptions were not. He was wildly effective, producing an average of 9.7 yards per reception. In the same season, Jones put up a league-high 16 touchdowns on the ground, and somehow, he wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl.
Kevin O’Connell’s offense doesn’t key much on the running game. That shouldn’t be expected to change any time soon, and even Jones isn’t going to shake that up. With an ability to utilize both Jones and Ty Chandler in the passing game though, the way Minnesota does things could constantly keep the opposition at bay.
Of course everything about the Vikings this season hinges on the quarterback play. Darnold needs to make it work if he’s going to save his career. McCarthy would have to develop quickly if he’s going to factor in. Regardless of who is under center, feeding wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be necessary. The running back position and group as a whole are secondary.
Still, Jones will go down as one of the best offseason acquisitions and that’s a great reality. The Vikings taking on another scorned Packers player has been something of a common practice, and it has worked out well in the past. Whether Jones hits new heights or not, he should be precious as long as he’s available.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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