EAGAN, Minn. – Aaron Jones, Sr., plans on doing big things this season.
The running back was all smiles Wednesday afternoon, having just wrapped his first Vikings training camp practice plus 20 minutes of extra work. Jones strolled off the field, shed his cleats and socks and stood barefoot, helmet in hand, to speak with a group of Twin Cities media members.
He was asked about Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's system and said, "he's a special coach … the way he can incorporate players into an offense and draw up schemes for players."
"You could feel it in OTAs – I got that feel," Jones said. "And I'm just like, 'Man, this is this is what I need to really show the true player that I am.'
"I feel like I'm still slept on," he added. "I feel like I don't get the respect that some of these other running backs get. But I feel like at the end of my career, when you look up and you look at the stats, I'll be right up there with the best of them. But for now, I'm just gonna keep my head down and keep working."
Jones' stats already speak volumes.
Through seven seasons in Green Bay, he played 97 games (85 starts) and totaled 5,940 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns on the ground. He's surpassed the 1,000-yard mark three times and in 2019 scored a whopping 16 touchdowns for the Packers. Jones also made an impact in the passing game, recording 272 catches for 2,076 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He's achieved an overall offensive grade of 75 or higher from analytics site Pro Football Focus every season – and a grade above 80 in five seasons.
In last year's Wild Card game against the Cowboys, Jones shined on the national stage, racking up 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns to help Green Bay to a 48-32 win.
Jones feels he's underestimated – but that's always been a source of motivation.
"I've been an underdog my whole life. I didn't come up with five stars like some of these guys did, you know? I was flying under the radar my whole career," said Jones, a fifth-round draft pick in 2017. "But when [I] strap on the pads and you put on my film, you can't deny it. So I'll just continue to do what I've been doing."
It's why it doesn't bother Jones that outsiders don't have Minnesota climbing the power rankings this season. He just wants to prove the naysayers wrong once again.
Jones pointed to "a lot of narratives" centered around the NFC North that don't consider the Vikings contenders.
"But that's kind of how we want it. We want to be right there, and when it's time to play, it's the players who really do the narrating," he said. "And we'll shock a lot of people. The analysts can say what they want, but the players have to do the playing."
There's a lot to be optimistic about when it comes to the Vikings offense, Jones said, from a deep offensive line to arguably the best wide receiver in the league and a pair of new quarterbacks who both have impressed teammates and coaches alike.
Jones said free agent addition Sam Darnold and first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy each ooze confidence.
"That's something you've got to have at the quarterback position. If you want to be successful, you've got to be confident," he emphasized. "They're both team players, and they both want to succeed, and they lift everybody up. So you've got two guys like that and you're gonna be successful – and I'm rooting for both of them and am gonna help both of them along the way.
"I'm confident in whoever's back there," Jones added. "We've got weapons all around, so you can't just pick one guy to X-out. Because if you pick him, the next person is gonna go off, or the next person."
It remains to be seen exactly what the Vikings offense will look like in O'Connell's third season at the helm – and first without Kirk Cousins in the huddle. The 2022 and 2023 campaigns leaned heavier on the pass than the run; should fans expect a more balanced attack in 2024?
Jones frankly isn't too concerned either way, as long as he's part of the plan.
"You know, I've always been efficient with my touches. I've always split time, and so I always make the most of my touches," said Jones, who has averaged 5.0 career rushing yards per carry. "It's just making the most of every opportunity, whether that's me blocking, me catching the ball, me running the ball – being a weapon when you're on the field.
"I know there's different ways I can affect the game other than just running the ball, as well," he added. "But I know when my number is called in the run game I'm gonna be ready, and so are the other backs."
It's fair to say he'll be especially ready in two chances against the Packers. But though succeeding against his former team is important to Jones, he also doesn't harbor negative feelings against his now-rival.
"I still have love for my teammates there," Jones said. "But I want to continue to prove myself every year. You have to [do that] to stay in this league, and I'm here to show I'm one of the best backs and demand that respect."
