No position has seen more movement in free agency so far than running back. Players like Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard and Joe Mixon, among others, have already moved on to new clubs. But perhaps the most stunning shift among running backs took place with the Green Bay Packers.
The green-and-gold signed Josh Jacobs to a four-year, $48 million contract that essentially serves as a one-year deal. But the addition of Jacobs came at a cost. The Packers essentially chose Jacobs over Aaron Jones, who they released to save money. In turn, Jones ended up signing a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings for $7 million.
This is a big bet on the part of the Packers and general manager Brian Gutekunst. Not only is it a question if Jacobs is even better than Jones, but the latter has fallen into the lap of a division rival. So what grade do the Vikings deserve for bringing in Jones?
Grading Vikings' Aaron Jones contract
First, the player. Aaron Jones was riddled with injuries last season. As a result, he played in just 11 games in and was a part-time player in most of his appearances. Jones saw over 50% of the Packers' offensive snaps in just six of the 11 regular season games he played in last season. Three of those games were Green Bay's last three regular-season contestas they approached do-or-die mode to make the playoffs, and Jones was fully past a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 1 and had multiple setbacks with during the year.
That could explain why the Packers let Jones walk, but that doesn't explain why they won't possibly live to rue that decision. Jones was nothing short of sensational again in 2023 when he was on the field. Jones' 4.6 yards per carry was a career-low, but that number was hindered by his injury. He still averaged 1.85 yards per route run, which ranked second among all running backs in 2023, according to playerprofiler.com. That site also lists him as having the 14th-best yards per touch mark among running backs (5.2) and the 15th-best true yards per carry (4.5) and yards created per touch (3.76).
Jones is still one of the best running backs in the NFL. Compared to some of the other players at the position who got paid recently, the Vikings are getting a discount by paying Jones just $7 million over one year. He will be making less money for Minnesota than what their division-rival Chicago Bears are paying for a lesser (but younger) player in D'Andre Swift.
Minnesota needed a running back as well. While Ty Chandler did burst onto the scene at the end of the season, he had just three games with at least eight carries and a yards-per-carry average north of four. Chandler should certainly see his share of carries (he ranked 19th among running backs in yards created per touch), but Minnesota can keep him in a backup and change-of-pace role he's likely best suited to fill. The Vikings also cut Alexander Mattison before free agency began, creating a void in the backfield filled by Jones.
There is a reason the Packers moved on from Aaron Jones, but there's also a reason why he was a beloved fan favorite. The Vikings shouldn't care about the former. He can stabilize their running back room in the present as they plan on how to address that position in the future. This was a great signing by Minnesota. They may have lost Kirk Cousins, but have another weapon at their disposal on offense to help fill that void.
Grade: A
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