Vikings Rivalry News: Aaron Jones Gets Extension, Drew Brees Retires
The two biggest pieces of news in the NFL on Sunday involved arguably the Vikings' two biggest rivals. Here's what they mean for their respective franchises — and Minnesota — going forward.
Aaron Jones signs four-year extension
Six months after the Vikings signed their star running back to a major extension, their biggest rival did the same. The Packers inked Jones to a four-year, $48 million deal on the eve of the free agency tampering period getting underway. Jones may have gotten bigger offers on the open market, but he wanted to run it back in Green Bay. For as good as Cook and Jones are, it's definitely worth questioning the value of paying a running back big money in the modern NFL. For the Packers, that's even more true considering Jones isn't quite on Cook's level and the fact that they drafted a running back in the second round last year.
Jones was a fifth-round pick out of UTEP in 2017, the same year the Vikings took Cook in the second. He got off to a slow start while sharing a backfield with Jamaal Williams, but has averaged 1500 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns per season over the past two years. Jones has at least 47 catches in two straight seasons, making him a dangerous dual-threat back. He has five TDs in six career games against the Vikings, including 310 total yards and three scores in two 2019 contests.
Drew Brees retires
The Saints aren't in the Vikings' division, but a big rivalry between the two teams has developed in recent years due to their playoff battles. Going forward, Brees will no longer be a part of that rivalry. He announced his retirement from the NFL after 20 seasons, the last 15 of which came with New Orleans. The future Hall of Famer only won one Super Bowl but is unquestionably one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He retires as the all-time leader in pass completions and yards, although Tom Brady will likely pass both of those marks next year.
Brees played against the Vikings ten times. He went 5-2 in the regular season but just 1-2 in the playoffs. The Saints beat the Vikings in the controversial 2009 NFC Championship game, but lost on walkoff touchdowns in the 2017 and 2019 playoffs. Brees was held below 210 passing yards in two of those postseason matchups.
The Saints now have a decision to make at quarterback: Taysom Hill, Jameis Winston, or someone else? They signed Hill to an extension on Sunday, but with all of the years being voidable it's really just an effort to create cap space this season. They would likely need to trade up in the first round to draft someone like Mac Jones of Alabama.
Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.
