Should Vikings Look to Free Agency or Draft to Replace Aaron Jones?

Two things can be true at once. The first is that Aaron Jones has basically delivered everything the Vikings could've asked for in the two years since they signed him away from their border rivals. The second is that, for multiple reasons, the Vikings should probably move on from him this offseason.

If this is it for Jones in Minnesota, his two-year tenure will be remembered fondly. Despite his age and a reputation for picking up bumps and bruises, he played in 29 of a possible 34 regular season games over the past two seasons. During that time, Jones ran for 1,686 yards on 387 carries (4.4 YPC) and added 79 catches for 607 yards. He scored 10 touchdowns. Off the field, his infectiously joyous personality quickly made him a favorite of teammates, coaches, fans, and media members.

The reasons why Jones is a logical cap casualty are fairly obvious. As currently constructed, his $14.55 million cap hit for 2026 is the third-highest among all NFL running backs, behind only Alvin Kamara and Jonathan Taylor. Jones is 31 years old, he missed five games last season, and his yards per carry mark in 2025 was a career-low 4.2. He's still a good player, but the Vikings might be able to get more explosive at RB while also saving some money by parting ways.

Aaron Jones — Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

If that's the route the Vikings choose to take, the question becomes where they'd look for a Jones replacement to pair with Jordan Mason in their backfield. Do you go out and sign a proven veteran in free agency? Or do you wait until the draft to land a running back on a rookie contract? A case can be made in support of either option.

The argument for signing a free agent back — or perhaps keeping Jones on a restructured deal — is that a veteran might be a better fit for the Vikings' win-now roster in 2026. Rookies come with uncertainty, and Kevin O'Connell's team may not have time to wait on development in a year where getting back to the playoffs is a must. Addressing RB in free agency also wouldn't box the Vikings into a scenario where they need to draft one early in April regardless of how the board unfolds. Instead, they could use their top-100 picks on positions of greater value.

The downside to pursuing a starting-caliber running back in free agency is that it costs money. Javonte Williams just got a three-year, $24 million deal to stay with the Cowboys. The top two backs on the market — Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and Breece Hall — are likely going to command north of $10 million per year. The next tier of free agent backs — Travis Etienne, Rico Dowdle, and Rachaad White — will push to be in the Williams range. Walker and Hall are around 25 years old, but the other three are all 27 or 28, which is already around the time when RBs can begin to decline.

Kenneth Walker III | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The argument for waiting until the draft to add an impact RB is that it's cheaper and potentially comes with more upside. There are complexities to playing the position in O'Connell's offense, especially regarding pass protection, but running back is typically a spot where rookies can have an immediate impact in the NFL. Choosing not to sign one of the top five free agent backs would give the Vikings more money to allocate to other positions.

If Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love were to fall to the Vikings with the 18th pick, it would be a no-doubt selection regardless of what they've done at RB earlier in the offseason. That seems highly unlikely. More realistic for the Vikings is adding a running back on Day 2 of the draft. That could happen as early as the second round, but the value might align better when taking one with the 82nd or 97th overall pick in the third round. Some intriguing options in that range include ND's Jadarian Price (if he falls), Nebraska's Emmett Johnson, Washington's Jonah Coleman, and a couple Penn State backs (Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen).

Ultimately, either option could work for the Vikings if they decide to move on from Jones. I might lean more towards waiting and drafting a running back in round three when April rolls around.