Injuries have played a significant role in Minnesota’s season, perhaps more than they had hoped for. J.J. McCarthy will miss his fifth consecutive game with a high ankle sprain, but he’s at least nearing his return. Andrew Van Ginkel and Ryan Kelly are two more starters who will watch the game from the couch.
The Aaron Jones Verdict Is In
Another starter, however, is eligible to return after missing his last four games with a hamstring injury. The Vikings placed running back Aaron Jones on IR following the injury suffered in Week 2.
On Thursday, he’s set to be back in the lineup, the team announced a few hours before the game.
Jones is coming off a Pro Bowl-caliber season with over 1,500 yards from scrimmage. The veteran was the unquestioned top rusher a year ago, which is why he was likely used a little too much all year, and minor injuries were piling up.
For that reason, the Vikings decided to invest in a running mate, and they found the right guy in San Francisco. Christian McCaffrey’s backup Jordan Mason was reaching the final year of his rookie contract and wanted a raise after his strong campaign.
The Vikings acquired him via trade and handed him a new deal. In the first game and the few snaps in the second prior to Jones’ injury, Mason was the more dynamic runner with the ball in his hands. He’s a few years younger and is a bigger back.
Jones, meanwhile, is one of the league’s top receiving backs, and that element will help the inconsistent offense. It remains to be seen how Kevin O’Connell will distribute the snaps and touches between Mason and Jones. Leaving Mason in the RB1 role is entirely possible until Jones is back at 100%, especially with the newcomer being rock solid over the last four contests.
O’Connell doesn’t expect a long ramp-up period for Jones, as he revealed earlier this week, “He’s a guy that you don’t really need to get out there and test too much, cause you know, in his rehab and the work he has done on the side fields. He’s a veteran player, he knows what he has to do. He knows what he needs to feel like. We’ll be smart with Aaron, but at the same time, we know he’s here for a reason, and we know what he can bring to our offense.”
“We’ll see how he responds,” O’Connell added, “because he didn’t play on Sunday, he can do a little bit more, either with the trainers, or side work in conjunction with what he’s doing in the walkthrough to mentally prepare where he’ll be at on Thursday.”
Apparently, Jones responded well, and the 30-year-old will be available on Thursday.
It’s his second season with the Vikings, and he’s in the first year of a two-year contract extension.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
