The Aaron Jones Decision Was A Barometer for Minnesota’s Offseason Strategy
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings moved a key deadline to push back the void date for Aaron Jones‘ contract in 2025. Here’s why that is important…
If Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants to extend Jones, then it was in Minnesota’s best interest to either hammer out an extension before the previous deadline of February 17 or push it back, which they did with Dalvin Tomlinson a couple of years ago. If the Vikings hadn’t done that, it would have locked in Jones’ dead $3.2 million cap hit for 2025, which would have been less than ideal.
As of now, February 17th is a key date for the Vikings. It's when the contracts of Sam Darnold, Byron Murphy, Stephon Gilmore, and Aaron Jones void.
If those contracts void, it locks in their dead cap hits for 2025.
Thread for more context:
— Nick Miller (@NicholasMMiller) January 23, 2025
Moving that soft deadline back serves as a barometer for Minnesota’s offseason strategy moving forward. The 30-year-old Jones is a top-10 player at his position, and he’s the top free-agent running back this offseason. Kevin O’Connell wants the Vikings to be more efficient in the run game in 2025, so eventually bringing back Jones (who ranked ninth in the NFL with 1,138 rushing yards) makes a lot of sense for this team. Especially if the Vikings plan on starting J.J. McCarthy at quarterback, who thrived in Michigan’s run-first offense under Jim Harbaugh.
With the Jones decision looming, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah finds himself in a situation that’s pretty similar to what he had to deal with in 2022, when cornerback Patrick Peterson was set to hit free agency. Peterson, then 32 years old, was coming off a year when he had 5 interceptions and 15 pass deflections, proving to still be a highly productive starter despite his age. The Vikings’ depth at cornerback at the time wasn’t great with Akayleb Evans, Chandon Sullivan, and Duke Shelley all playing a significant amount of snaps in Ed Donatell’s defense.
Because the cornerback position lacked high-end talent, it would’ve made some sense for the Vikings to re-sign Patrick Peterson. However, Donatell was dismissed and replaced by Brian Flores, who runs a completely different defensive scheme. Peterson also wanted to cash out after his most productive season as a veteran, so Kwesi decided it was best to let him test the free agent market as one of the top available players at his position. As I mentioned earlier, Jones is the top free-agent running back, so it makes sense for Jones to take the same path Peterson did.
It appears that things are trending in that direction. ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler “expects Denver to look for a versatile back to bolster Sean Payton’s offense,” specifically mentioning Jones as a potential target for the Denver Broncos. Granted, this is reading between the lines, but it’s hard to believe that a prominent national insider would link a player to a team if there wasn’t any traction behind it. At the very least, it feels like Jones is likely to test the market, even if Minnesota is his first choice, which we don’t know.
But until he leaves, there’s still a chance, and the Vikings certainly should make it a priority to re-sign Jones, given his production and how he fits into O’Connell’s offense. That being said, Kwesi is no stranger to letting proven veterans at positions of need walk in free agency if their final asking price is too high. This upcoming Jones decision will reveal how strongly the Vikings feel about Ty Chandler — or potentially Cam Akers’ ability should they re-sign him — as someone to potentially lead a running-back-by-committee in 2025.
Kwesi could also draft a running back early, but that may come at the expense of landing a starting-caliber guard or defensive tackle in the draft if they strike out on those positions in free agency. The second round would be a great place to draft a running back of the future, but Minnesota traded their 2025 second-rounder to the Houston Texans. The Texans subsequently traded that pick to the Buffalo Bills to acquire former Vikings receiver Stefon Diggs. Everything comes full circle!
Not only might the recent Jones decision reflect how the Vikings feel about their current stable of running backs, but it may provide a glimpse into Minnesota’s offseason strategy for their entire roster. Jones is arguably the Vikings’ most valuable veteran free agent. If Kwesi is willing to let him leave in free agency, then that could be a sign that he’s willing to let other big-name veterans test the market, as well. Thus, the Vikings may be preparing to usher in a youth movement with McCarthy poised to become the new starting quarterback in a new era of Vikings football.
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