Vikings Signing Former Packers RB Aaron Jones to One-Year Deal

Jones is efficient and explosive in the outside zone game.

Author:
Will Ragatz
Publish date:
Mar 12, 2024 9:01 AM EDT

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The Vikings are signing former Packers running back Aaron Jones to a one-year deal, as first reported by Dianna Russini. Per Tom Pelissero, Jones gets $7 million to join the Vikings — one day after being released by their biggest rivals.

Green Bay signed Josh Jacobs on Monday and then quickly made the move to part ways with Jones, who had declined a major pay cut that they asked him to take. Now he'll get a chance to face his old team twice in 2024, provided he's healthy.

Jones turns 30 in December, but the way he finished last season showed that he still has a lot of juice in the tank. He had at least 100 rushing yards in each of the Packers' final five games, including their playoff contests against the Cowboys and 49ers. Jones had three touchdowns in the wild card round win in Dallas.

A fifth-round pick out of UTEP in 2017, Jones ran for nearly 6,000 yards on an even five yards per carry in his seven seasons with the Packers. He also had over 2,000 receiving yards and 63 total touchdowns in that span, including a league-high 19 in 2019. He's efficient and explosive as an outside zone runner and is a weapon as a receiver out of the backfield.

Jones dealt with some injuries in 2023, only playing in 11 games, but he appeared in all 17 in 2022 and only missed a few contests in the three years before that. He made his lone Pro Bowl in 2020.

This move presumably makes Jones the new 1A in the Vikings' running back room in 2024. He'll be paired with Ty Chandler, who is entering his third season and had a few impressive performances in the second half of last year. Minnesota released Alexander Mattison earlier this month.