Aaron Jones’ time with the Minnesota Vikings appears to be coming to an end after two seasons.
The Vikings have informed Jones he will be released ahead of the start of the league year if the team doesn’t find a trade partner, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
Jones – a nine-year veteran – was Minnesota’s primary starting running back each of the last two seasons and has 114 career starts under his belt. The 31-year-old has generated four 1,000-yard seasons as a runner and has also performed well as a pass-catcher, racking up 351 receptions across his career to date.
Jones may be in the twilight of his career, but the veteran should still find a new home for the 2026 NFL season if he desires to keep playing. Whether it’s as a backfield leader or a high-end backup and mentor, the UTEP product figures to draw interest if and when he hits the open market.
Here’s a look at some potential landing spots for Jones, as well as a look at the remaining money he has on his deal with the Vikings.
Aaron Jones landing spots
Houston Texans
With Joe Mixon’s future in Houston remaining uncertain, the Texans figure to be in the market for a starting-caliber running back during the offseason. Woody Marks showed flashes as a rookie, but his 3.6 yards per carry average may indicate the 2025 fourth-round pick is best served in a change-of-pace role.
Jones has never averaged less than 4.2 yards per carry in a season during his career and the 31-year-old’s dual-threat ability would give C.J. Stroud a reliable checkdown out of the backfield.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs’ top two running backs from the 2025 NFL season – Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt – are both set to be free agents. The duo averaged 3.9 and 3.7 yards per carry respectively last season, so Brett Veach may look to back a new tandem at the position.
Jones could be a part of that, and his proven track record of NFL-level production would appeal to the Chiefs. He has handled at least 159 touches over the last eight seasons and would be an ideal weapon to support Patrick Mahomes as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kenneth Gainwell led the Steelers with 73 catches last season. If Pittsburgh can’t retain him, the team will need to find a pass-catching replacement to team up with Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson.
Jones would fit the bill, having averaged just under 43 receptions per season since 2018. Add in his history playing with Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy during their time with the Green Bay Packers and a deal with Pittsburgh could make a lot of sense.
Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl 60 MVP Kenneth Walker III seems likely to leave the Seahawks in free agency. That will leave the team searching for a complement to Zach Charbonnet, who is coming off a torn ACL he suffered in the postseason.
Jones could take on a bulk of the early-season workload for the Seahawks while allowing Charbonnet to ease back into action. The veterans would pair well and keep one another fresh, which was key with Walker and Charbonnet during Seattle’s run to a Super Bowl.
Las Vegas Raiders
Speaking of Seattle, Klint Kubiak – the Seahawks offensive coordinator turned Raiders coach – has expressed an affinity for the two-back system and a desire to add a ‘wingman’ for 2025 first-round pick Ashton Jeanty.
‘We definitely want to have a two-man show, guys that can share the load,’ Kubiak said in an interview at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. ‘It’s a long season. You don’t want to put all the carries and targets on one guy. So right now, we’re identifying guys that are available in the draft, identifying free agents we might go after, looking at our own roster and seeing who can take that. But it is important that Jeanty has a wingman, and it’s probably not gonna be just one guy.’
Jones could be an ideal mentor for Jeanty and would be more than capable of absorbing some of the Raiders’ backfield workload.
Aaron Jones contract details
Jones is in the final year of a two-year contract extension he inked with the Vikings ahead of 2025 free agency. Below are the terms of that deal, per Spotrac.com:
- Term: 2 years
- Total value: $20 million
- Average annual value (AAV): $10 million
- Guaranteed money: $13.5 million
Jones’ AAV ranks ninth-highest among all NFL running back contracts, while his total contract value ranks 16th at the position.
Jones will be due $10 million in cash during the final season of his deal. That may make it hard for the Vikings to find a trade partner for the veteran, unless a team like the Texans or Chiefs still views him as a high-end starter.
More likely, the Vikings will release Jones. Minnesota would create $7.75 million in cap space by releasing him before March 13, when an additional $2 million of his salary becomes guaranteed.
Aaron Jones stats
Jones played just 12 games during the 2025 NFL season while dealing with hamstring and shoulder injuries. Below is a look at the numbers he posted across those games:
- Carries: 132
- Rushing yards: 548
- Rushing TDs: 2
- Yards per carry: 4.2
- Receptions: 28
- Receiving yards: 199
- Receiving TDs: 1
Jones has logged at least 26 catches in eight consecutive seasons and has averaged 4.9 yards per carry during his career, tied for the 17th-best mark in NFL history.