The departure of running back Aaron Jones from the Green Bay Packers and his subsequent landing with the division-rival Minnesota Vikings stands out as a transaction where both franchises ultimately found a measure of benefit from the change of scenery. Yet, the Packers no doubt harbor lingering feelings, watching Jones land almost directly in their backyard. Turning 30 in December, Jones experienced a physically demanding second half during the 2024 campaign following a typically explosive start to the year. Historically built with a compact frame weighing under 210 pounds and lacking a prototypical anchor, Jones was never naturally suited to absorb the kind of high-volume pounding traditionally seen from workhorse running backs in the National Football League.
It made logical sense that his production slowed down as the season wore on, especially when tasked with a career-high 255 carries. The Vikings’ decision to execute a March trade for 223-pound running back Jordan Mason strongly suggests that the Minnesota front office and coaching staff agreed that Jones’ workload needed careful containment, particularly when deploying power-running concepts. While Jones remains exceptionally elusive in open space, he can easily be knocked off his natural footing if a swarming defense herds him into a confined area. Mason’s addition serves a clear purpose: absorbing heavy collisions and taking that physical toll directly off Jones’ plate. Furthermore, Mason projects to handle the majority of goal-line carries, though high-volume red-zone work has not heavily defined Jones’ fantasy football value in recent years anyway. The veteran running back scored just 13 rushing touchdowns across 60 regular-season games over his final four seasons in the league.
The quiet specter of natural athletic decline inevitably hovers around any running back approaching the milestone age of 30, and consistency in durability has presented a running challenge throughout Jones’ career. However, whenever Jones operated at full health during the 2023 campaign, he re-established himself as one of the most explosive, dynamic runners across the entire NFL. Once he finally shook off a persistent hamstring injury suffered in Week 1 and a subsequent MCL sprain sustained in Week 11—both of which forced him to miss multiple games and visibly limited his mobility in others—he concluded his tenure in Green Bay in dramatic style. He torched each of his final five opponents, including postseason play, for more than 100 rushing yards apiece.
Transitioning from Green Bay to Minnesota carries the look of a downgrade for fantasy football purposes, primarily because former Vikings starting quarterback Kirk Cousins departed for Atlanta in free agency. Even so, Jones could realistically log an increased snap share compared to his final years with the Packers. The Vikings possess relatively thin, unproven options behind him on the depth chart, with Ty Chandler currently positioned as the likely number-two running back. Additionally, head coach Kevin O’Connell might prioritize the ground game to a slightly higher degree than usual this season, given that Sam Darnold is stepping in to replace Cousins under center.
The days of Jones ranking among the league leaders in total touchdowns have likely drawn to a close, taking his elite RB1 fantasy utility right along with them. Still, he remains a deeply dangerous real-life football player and possesses the talent to maintain reliable RB2 value, even while moving past the era of Aaron Rodgers throwing passes in New York and sharing early-down work with AJ Dillon. While a distinct element of uncertainty surrounded Jordan Love taking over the quarterback mantle in Green Bay, one potential outcome was a run-heavy offensive scheme that allowed Jones and Dillon to combine for an even greater share of touches than the 486 they shared during a healthy campaign where both players appeared in all 17 regular-season games.
Even amid a relatively down offensive year for the broader Packers unit, Jones managed an exceptional average of 5.3 yards per carry across his 213 rushing attempts. That specific efficiency and volume threshold simply remains out of reach for a running back unless he is playing at an exceptionally high level. Notably, Jones reached that mark without registering a single rush longer than 40 yards, representing the first time in his professional career that he failed to break a run of that distance.
Otherwise, the underlying metrics displayed no warning signs of athletic decline. Jones actually recorded career-high marks in total rushing yards with 1,121 and receptions with 59, while collecting five of his seven total touchdowns through the passing game. By comparison, backfield mate AJ Dillon commanded a decisive 10-to-2 advantage in carries specifically inside the 5-yard line. Aging gracefully into his late twenties, Jones has been thoroughly aided by the Packers’ organizational strategy of keeping his total annual workloads south of 300 touches throughout his career.
Jones initially entered a prior season firmly entrenched atop the offensive depth chart in Green Bay well ahead of AJ Dillon, though by the conclusion of that year the duo had settled smoothly into a productive timeshare. It proved to be a remarkably efficient arrangement for the offense, as both running backs finished the season with more than 1,100 yards from scrimmage and combined for 17 total touchdowns. For Jones, those statistics represented a notable step backward from his previous two dominant campaigns. The running back offered a distinctly different athletic profile than the bruising Dillon, relying primarily on elite elusiveness, fluid agility, and breakaway speed rather than raw power and sheer size.
Both players established themselves as capable pass-catchers and reliable pass-blockers, making them largely interchangeable within the parameters of the Packers’ offensive scheme. However, Jones was not quite as lethal with the ball in his open hands during that stretch. After finishing second across the entire NFL in yards after contact per carry in 2020 with an impressive 2.9 average, he slipped back to 12th in the league at 2.3. While the coaching staff did not drastically alter the workload split, the offensive promotion of Adam Stenovich to coordinator brought subtle adjustments. The team leaned heavily on its backfield following the high-profile departures of wide receivers Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, replacing them with veteran free agent Sammy Watkins and second-round draft pick Christian Watson. That structural shift pointed toward an increased reliance on running plays and short-area targets directed at the backfield, benefiting Jones immensely given his established proficiency as a receiver.
Jones put together another stellar season in 2020 despite missing a couple of contests due to a calf strain, setting a new personal benchmark in total rushing yards while maintaining an elite 5.3 to 5.5 yards-per-carry average for the third time in four years. Demonstrating well-rounded strength across all facets of the position, the runner operated with distinct power and purpose, pairing his natural agility and speed with the vision required to turn any minor crease into a massive gain. He regularly created yards independently, finishing near the top of the league among all running backs in average yards after contact. His reliability as both a pass-catcher and a proficient pass-protector ultimately earned him the deep trust of longtime franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
After inking a lucrative four-year contract extension to remain in Green Bay, Jones positioned himself to command an even larger share of the backfield responsibilities, especially with fellow free-agent departure Jamaal Williams signing with the Detroit Lions. While Williams had operated as a versatile jack-of-all-trades capable of handling snaps in any game situation, Jones’ new primary backup, second-round draft selection AJ Dillon, arrived with a skill set tailored explicitly for early-down power work and short-yardage conversions. That shifting dynamic within the positional room, combined with Rodgers’ tactical preference for targeting Davante Adams in high-leverage red-zone situations, introduced yet another obstacle preventing Jones from easily reclaiming double-digit rushing touchdowns, though it simultaneously pointed toward an expanded role in the passing attack.
The preceding year saw Jones finally manage to avoid major injuries, resulting in a true breakout campaign that saw him tie Derrick Henry for the NFL lead in rushing touchdowns with 16. Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 208 pounds, Jones does not possess prototypical elite size or raw power as a runner, but his blend of functional power, deceptive speed, and exceptional balance allows him to absorb first contact and drive through arm tackles. During that breakout season, Jones ranked second in the league in broken tackle rate, forcing one for every 7.4 rushing attempts—a massive leap forward compared to the previous year when he ranked 41st.
He simultaneously developed into a major weapon in the passing game, establishing new personal bests in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. With Aaron Rodgers operating efficiently near the latter stages of his storied career, the offensive scheme consistently prioritized getting the football out of the quarterback’s hands with quick rhythm throws while maintaining a commitment to the run. Jones stood firmly as the focal point of that ground attack, even as the franchise invested draft capital in the heavier AJ Dillon.
Even when missing four games due to injuries for a second consecutive season, Jones consistently looked the part of the Packers’ most dynamic offensive weapon when fully healthy. A defining seven-game stretch following Green Bay’s mid-season bye week showcased his true ceiling. Even without logging more than 17 carries in any single contest within an offense anchored by Rodgers, Jones churned out impressive efficiency with 5.5 yards per carry and seven rushing scores while averaging 76 yards per game. His most valuable trait as a runner remained his stubborn forward lean and refusal to waste motion. The product out of Texas-El Paso possessed enough functional strength to shrug off initial contact and enough sudden speed to exploit open space on the second level. Rarely dancing behind the line of scrimmage when positive yards were available, his overall rushing efficiency ranked among the best in the professional ranks.
Reflecting on his earlier professional development, the Green Bay backfield functioned as a revolving door during his rookie campaign, with multiple players cycling through the lead role before losing momentum. Jones seized his initial opportunity during a Week 4 matchup and immediately looked like the definitive answer, racking up 346 rushing yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry over a four-game audition. However, a broken clavicle suffered by Aaron Rodgers during that exact stretch brought the entire offensive machinery to a sudden halt, and Jones subsequently sustained a knee injury that severely limited his effectiveness down the stretch.
At 5-9 and 208 pounds, the UTEP alumnus lacked elite long-speed on the stopwatch, but his exceptionally low center of gravity and natural body control made him a difficult assignment for defenders attempting to bring him down in the open field. Mirroring his productive collegiate output, he displayed an immediate knack for generating explosive plays as a rookie, ripping off multiple runs of 20 yards or more despite limited touches. Earning early praise for his willingness and technique as a pass blocker, he gradually carved out a permanent niche within the professional ranks, setting the stage for his eventual rise as one of the premier offensive centerpieces in Green Bay before his eventual departure for Minnesota.
