Aaron Jones, the 30-year-old featured running back, signed a one-year deal with the Vikings after seven seasons with the rival Green Bay Packers and has shown he still has speed, elusiveness and durability.
Aaron Jones, 30, has shown he still has the speed, elusiveness and durability to be a featured running back in the NFL. (Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Aaron Jones has proved he still has it at 30 years old in what he hopes will be the first of many seasons with the Vikings.
Jones, who ranks ninth among all NFL running backs with 1,471 yards from scrimmage this season, said Wednesday that he would like to end his career in Minnesota. That’s how well things have gone between Jones and the Vikings since he agreed to a one-year deal worth $7 million in March just one day after the rival Green Bay Packers released him in a cost-cutting move following seven seasons.
“I hope to be here,” Jones said. “I hope to be here to the end of my career, honestly. This is an excellent place, an excellent upstairs, training room, all across the board. This is an excellent place. So, this is where if I can finish my career here, this is where I’d like to finish my career at.”
Jones has shown he still has the speed, elusiveness and durability to be a featured running back in a year where multiple teams got instant production from veteran runners, including the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, the Ravens’ Derrick Henry and the Packers’ Josh Jacobs, who replaced Jones.
Jones is 88 yards from setting a new career high in yards from scrimmage, and he’s about to play a full season for only the third time in his eight-year career. He said he has taken pride in proving wrong anyone who questioned how much he still has to offer.
How long does Jones want to keep playing?
“Shoot, another eight-10 years, hopefully,” he said, laughing. “I’m feeling good. Feeling good. This is the best I’ve felt throughout 17 games. … Continue to keep that going, rewind the clock back. … After we win the Super Bowl, get into some recovery stuff.”
Jones said he will play Sunday night at Detroit despite being limited in Wednesday’s walkthrough because of a quad injury suffered in the first half last weekend vs. Green Bay. Jones, who had 77 yards on 16 touches before exiting at the end of the third quarter, said he doesn’t expect any limitations in the game after landing on Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper’s helmet.
Coaches pulled Jones just before the Vikings took a 27-10 lead at the end of the third quarter. He said he still enjoyed watching the Vikings close out a season sweep of his former team from the sideline.
“Those games were circled on my calendar,” Jones said. “Kind of a prove it to the world, prove it to myself, prove it to everybody.”
Two defenders miss practice
Edge rusher Pat Jones II (knee) and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (illness) were held out of Wednesday’s walkthrough. Jones took a low hit from Packers tight end Tucker Kraft in the first half Sunday and did not return. Safety Harrison Smith (foot), fullback C.J. Ham (quad) and cornerback Fabian Moreau (hip) were limited.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell added rookie defensive tackle Taki Taimani is “getting close” to returning to practice from an ankle injury that has kept him on injured reserve since November.
The Lions practiced without running back David Montgomery (knee) and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (illness). Linebackers Alex Anzalone (forearm) and Jack Campbell (rib) were limited.
‘Too many coaches’
O’Connell was asked about balancing coaching five quarterbacks from Sam Darnold to veteran Daniel Jones on the practice squad to rookie J.J. McCarthy in a classroom-only role when he recalled a quip from the late legendary Vikings coach Bud Grant.
The Vikings currently employ 26 assistant coaches under O’Connell, including two assistants — quarterbacks coach Josh McCown and assistant coordinator and quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski — dedicated to the signal caller.
“Coach Grant used to give me a really hard time about having so many coaches,” O’Connell said. “And I would always tell him, ‘It’s about ownership and player development.’ And I’d try to show him examples, but he would still tell me I’ve got way too many coaches. … It’s a big part of my coaching philosophy. Not only are the players developing and feeling like they’ve got a set of eyes on them at all times for the betterment of their improvement, but coaches are developing.”
‘Best scout team’
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips is in his 18th NFL season as an assistant coach, and that experience led the 45-year-old grandson of former Oilers and Saints head coach Bum Phillips to point out an unheralded reason for this 14-2 season. Phillips credited the bottom of the Vikings roster for continually bringing effort on the “scout team,” which is the group of players who don’t often play on offense or defense, but they are asked to mimic the upcoming opponent as best as possible during practices.
“This has been the best look team, group that I’ve been a part of since I’ve been in the league,” Phillips said. “We were fortunate to have some vets over there at times, Bobby [McCain] being one of them. … We got guys that give great effort up front, Bo Richter, Levi [Drake Rodriguez], [Jalen] Redmond, who has shown now what he can do in games. I think these things do correlate.”