Jones is slated to sign a one-year deal with the Vikings, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Per Schefter, Jones' deal with Minnesota is worth $7 million. The move comes just one day after the 29-year-old was released by Green Bay after turning down a pay cut, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. With the Vikings, Jones will have a chance to lead a backfield that also includes Ty Chandler, with Alexander Mattison having recently been released by the team.
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Aaron Jones: Released by Packers
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The Packers released Jones on Monday after reaching agreement with RB Josh Jacobs on a contract, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said in February that he expected Jones to be back with the team in 2024 for the final year of his contract. The 29-year-old RB enjoyed one of the best stretches of his career at the end of the 2023 season and into the playoffs, but his $12 million in non-guaranteed compensation for 2024 meant staying with the Packers was never a sure thing. The team ended up releasing Jones less than an hour after reports of an agreement being reached with Jacobs, who now takes over as the lead back in coach Matt LaFleur's well-designed offense. Age and durability are reasonable concerns with Jones, but the strong finish to 2023 should have him in good position to land a starting RB job with another team.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Ready for divisional round
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Jones (knee/finger) doesn't have an injury designation for Saturday's divisional-round game in San Francisco, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
For a sixth week in a row, the Packers are managing Jones' practice reps due to the MCL sprain that sidelined him Weeks 12-14. In five appearances in the meantime, he's racked up 606 yards from scrimmage and three rushing TDs on 109 touches, which includes four straight games surpassing the century mark on the ground. Green Bay is listing fellow running back AJ Dillon (thumb/neck) as questionable for Saturday's contest, but even if he puts an end to a two-game absence, he likely won't cut into Jones' workload too much considering how the latter has been playing of late.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Logs limited practice
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Jones (knee/finger) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice.
Jones has played in five straight games since missing Weeks 12 through 14 with a knee injury, including four in a row with at least 20 carries and 111 rushing yards. The Packers continue to limit his practice participation, but Jones' two largest snap shares of the season came in the past two games, and he should be busy once again in this Saturday's divisional-round playoff game at San Francisco.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Clear for wild-card round
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Jones (knee/finger) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's wild-card game in Dallas, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
The Packers have managed Jones' practice reps since he returned to action Week 15 following three games off due to a sprained MCL. The regimen has worked out well for him over the last three contests, in particular, when he went for at least 110 yards on 20-plus carries each time. With AJ Dillon (thumb/neck) doubtful to suit up Sunday after sitting out every practice this week, Jones should have all the backfield work he can handle against the Cowboys.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Another limited practice
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Jones (knee/finger) practiced in a limited fashion Thursday.
Jones continues to operate with a cap on his practice reps due to the sprained MCL that sidelined him Weeks 12-14. Since then, he's looked like his vintage self, totaling 475 yards from scrimmage and no TDs on 87 touches over the last four contests. The Packers have removed Jones' designation before each of the past three games, so that likely will come to pass once the team posts its final injury report of the week Friday ahead of Sunday's wild-card outing at Dallas.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Remains limited Wednesday
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Jones (knee/finger) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walkthrough, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Since returning from a three-game absence due to a sprained MCL back in Week 15, Jones has endured practice restrictions for five weeks running. It hasn't stopped him from accruing 100 yards on the ground in each of the past three games, a span in which he's racked up 70 touches for 406 yards from scrimmage. Fellow running back AJ Dillon (thumb/neck) once again didn't mix into drills Wednesday, so Jones may remain the Packers' primary running back in Sunday's wild-card game at Dallas if the former is unable to suit up. First, Jones will need to get through this week unscathed in order to do so.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Totals 141 yards
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Jones rushed the ball 22 times for 111 yards in Sunday's 17-9 win over the Bears. He added five receptions on five targets for 30 yards.
Jones continued his strong close to the regular season, topping both 20 rushing attempts and 100 rushing yards for the third consecutive game. He tallied long gains of 17 and 14 yards, but he was primarily effective in helping keep Green Bay's offense on schedule with 14 of his carries going for a gain of at least four yards. Jones also saw an uptick in his involvement as a pass catcher, recording a season-high five receptions. He could see a slight downtick in work in a wild-card round matchup against the Cowboys if AJ Dillon (neck) can return, but Jones should serve as the team's lead back in the matchup.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Good to go
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Jones (knee/finger) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Bears, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
AJ Dillon (neck/thumb) has been ruled out, further cementing Jones for a large workload in an all-important Week 18 matchup for the Packers. Jones typically plays less than two-thirds of the snaps on offense yet often gets more than two-thirds of the team's backfield touches, and it wouldn't be any surprise if he took on larger workload shares in this situation even if Dillon were available. Patrick Taylor also figures to get some of the snaps/touches that might otherwise go to Dillon.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Remains limited Thursday
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Jones (knee/finger) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
Jones maintained his same level of activity from Wednesday, though the Packers held a traditional practice Thursday compared to a walkthrough session a day earlier. Even if Jones' reps are capped again Friday, he'll most likely be on the field Sunday against the Bears with few restrictions, given that the Packers can secure a playoff spot with a win in Week 18. He's turned in his two best rushing performances of the season in victories over the Panthers and Vikings in Weeks 16 and 17, respectively, gaining 127 yards on 21 carries in the first matchup and 120 yards on 20 carries in the second.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: RBs to Start
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Jones is on fire over the past two games with at least 120 rushing yards in each outing against Carolina and Minnesota. Over that span, he has 41 carries for 247 yards and two catches for 18 yards on four targets. I wish he had more work in the passing game or scored a touchdown, but he's scored at least 14 PPR points in each outing without finding the end zone, which is a great sign. He has a tough opponent in Week 18 against Chicago, but the Bears have allowed a running back to score at least 15.8 PPR points in three of their past four games. And six running backs have scored at least 11.5 PPR points over that span. Jones also has dominated Chicago in his career. In his past five meetings with the Bears, he has 51 carries for 310 yards and three touchdowns and 17 catches for 212 yards and four touchdowns. He's scored at least 21 PPR points against Chicago in four of his past five meetings, including Week 1 when he had 26.7 PPR points.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Limited Wednesday
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Jones (knee/finger) was a limited participant at Wednesday's walkthrough.
For the fourth week in a row, Jones was listed as limited on the Packers' initial injury report. As for fellow running back AJ Dillon, he was held out entirely due to a lingering thumb injury and a new neck stinger. It's unclear if Dillon is in danger of sitting out Sunday against the Bears, but Jones could be in line for a true workhorse role in that contest if the former is inactive. In any case, Jones is running on all cylinders at the moment, having compiled 41 carries for 247 yards and two catches (on four targets) for 18 yards over the last two games.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Tops 100 yards again
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Jones rushed the ball 20 times for 120 yards in Sunday's 33-10 win over the Vikings. He added one reception on one target for 10 yards.
The Packers have been cautious with Jones for much of the season after he suffered a few lower-body injuries earlier in the campaign. However, he's now reached 20 carries in each of the team's last two games and responded with at least 120 rushing yards in each. In Sunday's win over the Vikings, Jones ripped off four rushes of at least 10 yards, the longest of which went for 25. While he hasn't found the end zone since Week 9, Jones is closing the regular season well and should lead the backfield if the Packers reach the postseason with a Week 18 win over the Bears.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Ready for Week 17
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Jones (knee/finger) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game at Minnesota, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Considering the sheer number of injuries Jones has dealt with this season, it's no surprise the Packers capped the practice reps of the seven-year pro this week. With his status clarified for Week 17 and AJ Dillon (thumb) also cleared for takeoff, Green Bay's backfield will have its typical breakdown of Jones first with a sprinkling of Dillon as the game goes on. The result for Jones this past Sunday at Carolina was 22 touches for 135 yards from scrimmage on 52 percent of the offensive plays.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Limited again Thursday
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Jones (knee/finger) practiced on a limited basis Thursday.
After the Packers estimated him as limited at Wednesday's walkthrough, Jones maintained that activity level one day later. He followed a similar practice routine last week before avoiding an injury designation entirely for this past Sunday's game at Carolina, when he churned out 135 yards from scrimmage on 22 touches. Friday's injury report will reveal whether or not Jones enters this weekend with a designation ahead of Sunday's NFC North showdown at Minnesota.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Start Him (Lineup Decisions)
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Matt LaFleur unleashed Jones last week to the tune of 135 total yards on 22 touches against the Panthers. No doubt the Vikings are a step-up in competition, but the Packers should recognize that Jones brought their offense some stability. Hopefully it leads to more targets for Jones and less playing time for both Patrick Taylor (he dominated third-down snaps) and A.J. Dillon. Minnesota's run defense was spiked by the Lions RBs for 4.2 yards per carry and three total touchdowns and lost edge defender D.J. Wonnum, a speedy run-stopper who had graded out well this year. That should make edge runs from Jones all the more explosive -- he's among the top-10 running backs in those types of carries at 5.8 yards per pop. With the hope that he is used more in passing situations, I'd aggressively start Jones over Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Tony Pollard and David Montgomery.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Eclipses century mark Sunday
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Jones had 21 carries for 127 yards and one reception for eight yards in Sunday's 33-30 victory over the Panthers.
The 22 touches were five more than Jones recorded in Week 15 and the second most he has tallied in a game this season. It has been tough sledding on the ground for Jones in 2023, but he ran with a purpose Sunday and averaged a stellar 6.1 YPC. Jones and the Packers will next face the Vikings, who limited him to just 46 yards from scrimmage in Week 8 and have fared well against running backs all season. However, Minnesota is also coming off a game in which they ceded 169 yards from scrimmage and three scores to Lions running backs.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Cleared to play
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Jones (knee/finger) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game at Carolina, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
Jones will lead the Green Bay backfield again, though his percentage of the RB touches might be smaller with AJ Dillon (thumb) seemingly on track to return and replace Patrick Taylor as the No. 2 back. The No. 2 role hasn't involved many touches when it's been in Taylor's hands this year, even when he gets around 40 or 50 percent of the snaps. Dillon is listed as questionable after missing last week, and there's a good chance the Packers prioritize their RBs more than usual this Sunday, facing a weak opponent while dealing with numerous injuries at wide receiver.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: Another limited listing Thursday
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Jones (knee/finger) practiced in a limited capacity Thursday, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Jones continues to operate with practice limitations as he tends to a lingering knee injury and a new finger concern. In his return from a three-game absence this past Sunday against the Buccaneers, he took 13 carries for 53 yards and recorded four catches (on four targets) for 16 yards. Eight of those rushes occurred in the opening possession of the game, and coach Matt LaFleur noted of Jones' early usage that he was "a little bit cautious" with the running back after that point, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. LaFleur added that Jones was available for every play in Week 15, so assuming he's active Sunday at Carolina, he could be poised for an even bigger workload. Fellow RB AJ Dillon again had a cap on his reps Thursday, with his own availability likely tied to how his broken thumb potentially impacts ball security.
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Packers' Aaron Jones: RBs to Start
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Jones returned from his three-game absence with a knee injury in Week 15 against Tampa Bay and got plenty of work with A.J. Dillon (thumb) sidelined. Jones had 13 carries for 53 yards and four catches for 16 yards on four targets against the Buccaneers, and we'll see if Dillon can return in Week 16 against the Panthers. But Jones should still have a big role even if Dillon is healthy, and Jones might be needed in the passing game with Christian Watson (hamstring) and Jayden Reed (toe) banged up. And it's a beautiful matchup against Carolina, which is No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs. Jones should be trustworthy again as a No. 2 running back in Week 16.
