Vikings' Aaron Jones: Dealing with shoulder sprain
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Jones, who exited Sunday's 27-24 win over the Lions, suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
According to Pelissero, the belief is that the running back's injury issue is minor, and Jones thinks he'll be able to play next weekend against the Ravens. With that in mind, Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune relays that coach Kevin O'Connell noted that Jones' shoulder will be evaluated further, while adding that the team is "hoping to get some good news" on that front. In the event that Jones is forced to miss time, however, fellow RB Jordan Mason would be in line to see added touches, as he did when Jones was on IR with a hamstring injury.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Suffers shoulder injury
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Jones hurt his shoulder during Sunday's contest in Detroit.
After a three-yard run at the start of the third quarter, Jones went to the medical tent and has remained there since then. He was sitting on nine carries for 78 yards and two catches (on two targets) for 20 yards at the time he exited. Jordan Mason is poised for more work for as long as Jones is on the sideline.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Seven touches in return to action
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Jones (hamstring) rushed five times for 15 yards and brought in two of four targets for 15 yards in the Vikings' 37-10 loss to the Chargers on Thursday night.
Jones made his return from a four-game absence and logged one more carry than backfield mate Jordan Mason, but game script significantly limited Minnesota's ability to run a balanced offense. Jones' truncated opportunities Thursday aside, the veteran back is likely to function as the lead back -- even if not by a significant margin -- over Mason moving forward, but another tough matchup awaits in Week 9 on Sunday, Nov. 2 in the form of a trip to the Motor City to face the Lions.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Back in action Thursday
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Jones (hamstring) is active for Thursday's game at the Chargers.
It's been a quick turnaround for Jones, who was designated for return from injured reserve Tuesday, followed that up with back-to-back limited walkthroughs, was listed as questionable for Week 8 action and then activated from IR on Thursday. He now has been cleared for his first game action since he suffered a hamstring injury Week 2, but with Jordan Mason faring well in Jones' absence -- and considering how long the latter was sidelined -- Jones seems poised for complementary work as a pass catcher, according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Jones has five seasons of 50-plus receptions in his nine-year career.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Activated from IR
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The Vikings have activated Jones (hamstring), who is officially listed as questionable for Thursday Night Football against the Chargers but is expected to play, from injured reserve.
Jones is expected to suit up Thursday night, per Kirk Herbstreit of Prime Video, and this transaction makes him eligible to do so. Minnesota may not make the veteran running back's status official until roughly 90 minutes ahead of Thursday's 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff, however. If he's indeed cleared to suit up on the road against Los Angeles, expect Jones join Jordan Mason atop Minnesota's backfield depth chart, bumping Zavier Scott (wrist) down to the No. 3 role. It's possible, though, that Jones will still have a cap on his reps after having managed two limited walkthrough practices this week.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: In line to return Thursday
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Jones (hamstring), who is listed as questionable for Thursday's game at the Chargers but remains on injured reserve, is expected to play, Kirk Herbstreit of Prime Video reports.
The Vikings will need to activate Jones from IR by 4:00 p.m. ET for the running back to have a chance to log his first game action since Week 2, when he initially injured his hamstring. Jones managed two limited walkthroughs this week, so if he's indeed active Thursday he seemingly would be operating with a cap on his snaps and touches. In any case, Jones' availability for Week 8 will be known roughly 90 minutes before an 8:15 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Officially questionable for Week 8
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Jones (hamstring), who was designated for return from injured reserve Tuesday, is listed as questionable for Thursday's contest at the Chargers.
Jones was limited at walkthroughs Tuesday and Wednesday, but the activity was enough to give him a chance for his first game action since Week 2, when he suffered a hamstring injury during a loss to the Falcons. Jordan Mason has been capable out of the Vikings backfield in place of Jones, racking up 301 yards from scrimmage and four rushing TDs on 66 touches over the last four outings. Fellow RB Zavier Scott (wrist) also is listed as questionable for Week 8, so the transactions made by Minnesota on Thursday afternoon, like potentially activating Jones from IR, will be telling for who will join Mason as options for the ground game.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Limited in return to practice
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Jones (hamstring) was a limited participant at the Vikings' walkthrough practice Tuesday.
Jones was designated for return from injured reserve Tuesday and had his reps capped in his first practice since Week 2. The running back has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury in a Sept. 14 loss to the Falcons, but after missing the required four games, he's eligible to be activated from IR at any time. According to Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell expressed optimism earlier Tuesday that Jones would be able to play Thursday against the Chargers, noting that the running back doesn't necessarily need a full week of practice to play because of the rehab work that he's been able to do off to the side in recent weeks. The Vikings should provide more clarity on Jones' Week 8 status when they release their final injury report Wednesday.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Remains without clear return date
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Jones (hamstring) didn't have his 21-day practice window opened Monday and appears unlikely to be activated from injured reserve ahead of Thursday against the Chargers.
Jones hasn't played since the Vikings' Sept. 14 loss to the Falcons due to a hamstring strain, but because he's now missed five weeks and four straight games while on injured reserve, he's eligible to return to the 53-man roster at any point. The Vikings haven't publicly commented on where exactly Jones stands in his recovery from the hamstring issue, but the team's decision not to include him on its initial Week 8 injury report suggests that he's not a serious candidate to suit up against the Chargers. Jordan Mason should continue to operate as Minnesota's clear lead back for as long as Jones remains sidelined.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Officially lands on IR
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The Vikings placed Jones (hamstring) on injured reserve Wednesday.
Jones will miss at least four games while recovering from his hamstring injury, making his earliest tentative return date Week 8 against the Chargers on Oct. 23, due to the timing of Minnesota's bye in Week 6. That positions Jordan Mason to take over the Vikings' backfield in a workhorse capacity, beginning Sunday versus the Bengals. Minnesota also has Zavier Scott available as backfield depth, and the team inked Cam Akers to the practice squad Wednesday.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: May not be available Week 3
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Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Jones (hamstring) is still being evaluated, but the Vikings may be without the running back Sunday versus the Bengals, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.
Jones made an early exit from Sunday's 22-6 loss to the Falcons due to a hamstring injury, tallying 23 yards on five carries and failing to haul in his only target on 20 offensive snaps. Jordan Mason had nine carries for 30 yards and two catches (on three targets) for eight yards on 28 plays, taking over as the lead back late. If Jones ends up sitting out Week 3, Mason likely would take on the bulk of Minnesota's backfield reps, as Zavier Scott -- who has yet to take a snap on offense in an NFL game -- is the only other RB currently on the 53-man roster.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Hurts hamstring on SNF
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Jones (hamstring) is questionable to return to Sunday's game against the Falcons, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Jones was having a quiet game prior to his fourth-quarter injury, with just five carries for 23 yards and no catches on one target. Jordan Mason will handle the bulk of the backfield workload for the Vikings if Jones remains out.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Flashes as receiver in win
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Jones rushed eight times for 23 yards and brought in all three targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
Jones saw new backfield mate Jordan Mason outpace him by seven carries and 45 rushing yards, but the former made a significant impact as a receiver. Jones shared the team lead in receiving yards with Justin Jefferson, and he also recorded a nifty 27-yard touchdown grab down the right side of the field with just under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen if Monday night's ground-attack pecking order will have staying power, but it's conceivable the 30-year-old Jones, who logged a career-high 255 carries over 17 regular-season games in 2024 and came into the season with 1,432 career rush attempts, is slotted into more of a complementary role on the ground behind the younger Mason on the majority of weeks while still retaining a solid pass-catching role.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Remains limited in practice
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Jones (quadriceps) was a limited practice participant Friday.
Jones played through the same injury during last week's loss to the Lions, taking 15 touches for 75 yards while playing 62 percent of snaps on offense. He'll likely play again Monday against the Rams in Glendale Arizona, having managed limited practice participation Thursday and Friday.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Goes for 75 yards in Week 18
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Jones rushed 10 times for 45 yards while catching five of six targets for 30 receiving yards in Sunday's 31-9 loss to the Lions.
Jones turned in moderate fantasy numbers despite his team wearing this one on the chin. The long-time Packer was able to set a new career high in rushing yards (1,138) in his first year playing with the Vikings. The 29-year-old also produced one of his better receiving seasons after recording 51 receptions and 423 yards in 17 starts with his new club. Jones will draw a favorable matchup in the wild-card round of the playoffs when the Vikings face the Rams' 22nd-ranked rush defense next Monday.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Dealing with quad issue
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Jones (quadriceps) recorded 12 rushes for 47 yards in Sunday's 27-25 win over the Packers. He added four receptions on five targets for an additional 30 yards.
Despite playing with a lead for the entire game, the Vikings remained aggressive on offense by taking to the air 43 times. That was enough to mute Jones' volume to some degree, an issue compounded by the fact that he didn't play at all in the fourth quarter due to a quad injury he suffered earlier in the game, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Jones' status will be important to monitor ahead of a Week 18 showdown with the Lions that will decide the NFC North as well as the top seed in the NFC.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Efficient rushing effort in win
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Jones rushed 13 times for 73 yards and a touchdown and brought in both targets for 11 yards in the Vikings' 42-21 win over the Falcons on Sunday.
A week after having issues with ball security, Jones turned in a clean performance that also featured his third performance of better than 70 rushing yards in the last five contests. Jones also recorded his second rushing touchdown in the last three games on a 15-yard run with 3:38 remaining to cap off the runaway win. The veteran back heads into a Week 15 home matchup against the Bears on Monday night, Dec. 16 now just 117 rushing yards away from the fourth 1,000-yard campaign of his career.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Tops 100 yards on ground
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Jones rushed the ball 22 times for 106 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-27 overtime win over the Bears. He added three receptions on four targets for 23 yards.
Jones returned to full practices for the first time since suffering an injury to his ribs in Week 10, and he bounced back from a poor Week 11 effort. He accounted for two of Minnesota's longest plays from scrimmage with rushes of 41 and 13 yards, with the former marking his most explosive run of the campaign. That led to Jones topping 100 rushing yards for the second time this season. His two-yard touchdown plunge late in the third quarter also marked his first trip to the end zone since Week 7. Jones' return to health also minimized Cam Akers' role in the offense, making Jones a reliable fantasy back moving forward.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Tough sledding Sunday
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Jones took 15 carries for 39 yards while catching his only target for four yards in Sunday's 23-13 win over the Titans.
Neither team could move the ball on the ground Sunday, resulting in rushing averages of 2.5 yards for Minnesota and 1.7 yards for Tennessee. Jones actually finished as the game's leading rusher despite his paltry output. Cam Akers (10-25-0) continues to cut into the starter's touches, even vulturing a receiving touchdown in this contest. Jones is the superior talent and should remain the preferred fantasy option out of the Vikings' backfield heading into next Sunday's matchup against the Bears.
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Vikings' Aaron Jones: Needs cart to go to locker room
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Jones (chest) was carted to the locker room early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game at Jacksonville, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Officially, Jones is questionable to return due to a chest injury, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. Prior to his exit, Jones remained on the turf as trainers tended to him and then visited the medical tent before trying to jog on the sideline. If he doesn't reenter the contest, he'll end Week 10 with 13 carries for 71 yards and two catches (on three targets) for 13 yards. Cam Akers likely will take on a large share of the Vikings backfield for as long as Jones is out, but Ty Chandler also is on hand for RB reps.
