Aaron Jones is back.
After a season of falling off, the Minnesota Vikings running back is back on the list of the NFL’s top-100 players, hitting the annual off-season list at No. 98.
The news broke on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, with a video montage highlighting Jones’ accomplishments that helped him reach that spot — which puts him in the top-5 percentile in the league.
Jones set a career high with 1,138 rushing yards and posted 1,546 all-purpose yards in his first season with the Vikings — after he spent his first seven seasons with the rival Green Bay Packers.
Why Is Aaron Jones On The Top-100 List?
Jones looked like he was finished after posting a 656-yard, two-rushing-touchdown season in his final year with the Packers. But he was rejuvenated playing up north, showcasing the things he was sure he had not forgotten how to do.
“Taking hits throughout the game, being able to be split out wide, catching the ball out of the backfield,” Jones said in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter), “it’s a lot of things that I feel like I do well.”
Many of his Vikings teammates also stated their gratitude for him playing with them and not against them.
“Seeing him on the opposite side of the ball in Green Bay and seeing how athletic he is and seeing how difficult he is to go down,” wide receiver Justin Jefferson said. “It definitely feels a lot better seeing him in purple and gold than the green and gold.
“He’s not the biggest; he’s not the strongest; he’s not the fastest. But he can run that ball.”
Jones finished ninth in the NFL in rushing and rushing attempts and finished eighth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage in 2024. He also finished third on the team in receptions (51), behind only Jefferson (103) and Jordan Addison (63) and was one of just three running backs to top 50 catches last season.
“You try to match him up against a linebacker or someone, he’ll go out and run routes,” Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy Jr said. “He looks like a receiver when he runs routes, so obviously he’s finishing the catches too.”
Plus, Jones brings the joy to the field and to his teammates.
“He’s one of those guys that’s always having fun. No matter the situation, he’s always playing with joy and it’s contagious,” Vikings safety Cam Bynum said. “He’s somebody that’s always just enjoying the game and makes really enjoy playing the next one.”
So even though he is having new-found success in Minnesota, even some of his former Packers teammates are excited for his resurgence.
“Aaron has always been the type of person to have blessings and great things happen to him because he works hard for them,” former fellow Packers running back Jamaal Williams said. “His energy, his core is pure and genuine, so knowing all the blessings and all the positivity and all the great success that he has coming to him is automatic. I’m happy for him.”
What Other Vikings Will Be On The Top-100 List?
Jones is just the first of at least a handful Vikings that will appear on the list.
Jefferson is almost certain to appear in the top-10. Murphy and Bynum may also be on the list as well.
NFL Network will continue unveiling the list through the start of the regular season.
