The Aaron Jones Injury Update
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is on pace for 1,720 yards from scrimmage this season.
The Aaron Jones Injury Update
He’s vital to the Vikings’ offense. So when he took a shot to the body in last weekend’s win at the Jacksonville Jaguars, fans held their breath.
But according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, Jones is trending in the right direction for this Sunday’s tilt with the Tennessee Titans. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted Wednesday, “Aaron Jones (ribs) might be a bit limited in practice early this week, but Kevin O’Connell said he feels good about having him for Sunday’s game at Tennessee.”
Jones will live on the injury report — probably all the way to Friday and perhaps through the weekend — but O’Connell seemed optimistic about the veteran runner against the Titans.
Per Jones personally — he’s fine, which would explain why he returned to the Week 10 showdown in Jacksonville. “We did an X-ray, a little sore now, but not near as bad as I thought it was gonna be from the initial hit,” Jones told reporters after the 12-7 triumph.
“I thought it might’ve cracked something. But I’m good. God’s good. He had his protection on me. It’s not the prettiest, but we got it done.”
Minnesota will need Jones this weekend. Suddenly, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold cannot avoid throwing interceptions, delivering three balls via interception to the Jaguars and damn near the game. Imagining a game against the Titans with an inaccurate Darnold, plus no Jones, in theory, might cause heartburn. But all seems well, according to Jones and the O’Connell update.
Without Jones, Minnesota primarily relied on Cam Akers, who joined the team via trade in October. Akers didn’t quite pack the same punch as Jones, adding 47 yards from scrimmage on 14 touches. The RB2 is fine in spots relieving Jones, but an RB1 Akers may not net dividends.
Jones had an earlier brush with injury this season, too. In a Week 5 contest against the New York Jets in London, he hurt his hamstring — and the Vikings’ offense immediately stopped working. Thankfully, the team had a bye the following week, and Jones healed just in time for Week 7.
In 2022 and 2023, without Jones, the Vikings’ rushing offense ranked 27th in the NFL per DVOA. Jones has helped that metric climb to 17th, which is quasi-respectable.
Minnesota is favored to defeat Tennessee by six in Week 11, though that point spread might fluctuate if Jones encounters a late-week setback.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.