Aaron Jones Linked to 2 New Teams in Free Agency

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones tallied over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and 7 touchdowns during his first season in purple, enough to stabilize the Vikings’ ground game after two years of futility.
Aaron Jones Linked to 2 New Teams in Free Agency
Now, he’s on tap to test open free agency if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah doesn’t re-up his contract.
And according to Bleacher Report, Jones has two ideal fits for 2025.
Chicago Bears
Chicago currently employs D’Andre Swift at RB1, and no one is too sure if new head coach Ben Johnson will embrace Swift, sign a free agent like Jones, or draft Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty.

BR’s Kristopher Knox believes it could be Jones to Chicago. He explained, “New Bears head coach Ben Johnson knows exactly what Jones can offer after repeatedly facing him as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator. Johnson could also be interested in pairing D’Andre Swift with a back like Jones to form a talented duo like the one he had with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit. With all due respect to Roschon Johnson, Jones would be an upgrade in Chicago’s backfield.”
That would make Jones’ career a platter of Packers-Vikings-Bears — an NFC North festival.

The Bears have $64 million in cap space as of late January, a bit more than Minnesota. Jones’ next deal should check in around $6-$7 million per year.
Pittsburgh Steelers
If it’s not the Bears, well, Knox claims the Steelers could work.

“Returning to Minnesota on a three-year, $21 million deal would make plenty of sense for Jones. He proved to be a strong fit in Kevin O’Connell’s offense and could play a big role in helping the Vikings transition to McCarthy at quarterback. Jones would be a terrific fit for the Steelers if they don’t retain Harris. The Chicago Bears could lurk as a sleeper destination,” he elaborated.
Pittsburgh has two running backs scheduled to hit free agency: Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. Ironically, if Jones skedaddles, one of them could land in Minnesota.

Whether Chicago or Pittsburgh takes the plunge, Jones has stated a couple of times that he’d like to re-sign with the Vikings and retire in Minnesota.
If the Vikings do not re-sign Jones, they’ll have to explore free agency for a running back like one of the aforementioned Steelers tailbacks or Javonte Williams, for example. Then, Minnesota will receive a 3rd-Round compensatory draft pick, which could be prime territory to draft a rookie runner.
NFL free agency is six weeks away.
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 MIN 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.