There was a hypothetical question recently circulating among the Vikings inside the locker room at TCO Performance Center.

How much money would it take to stop playing football right now?

As some of his teammates offered up certain dollar amounts, veteran running back Aaron Jones was steadfast in his response. There was no amount of money that would suffice. Not a chance.

“I feel like I have a lot left in the tank,” Jones said. “I feel like I could play eight more years.”

Though that might be a little bit of a stretch considering Jones turns 30 years old in a few months, it’s hard to argue with the fact that he still looks the part of an elite player at his position.

After battling injuries during the early portion of last season, Jones got healthy down the stretch and started dominating. He impressively eclipsed the century mark in each of his final five games, helping the Packers go on a playoff run that ended on the precipice of them reaching the NFC Championship game. In total, Jones recorded 102 carries for 584 yards in that span, serving as a catalyst for the offense out of the backfield.

“I was able to show what I could really do,” Jones said. “I felt like I was just about to start entering my prime and then kind of got hurt.”

Now, there’s extra motivation for Jones this season as he attempts to prove that he’s indeed in his prime. He was released by Packers before free agency in a move designed to save some money against the salary cap. He signed a one-year, $7 million contract with the Vikings roughly 24 hours later.

“I remember when we got him, I didn’t believe it,” safety Josh Metellus said. “I was like, ‘There ain’t no way this is real.’ They’re crazy for letting us get him. I know he’s excited and I’m worried for everybody who’s got to play us because he’s going to be running hard.”

As the Vikings search for solutions in the running game, the hope is that Jones can do for them what he’s been doing against them throughout his career. The splits speak for themselves as Jones has 149 carries for 847 yards in 11 games against the Vikings.

“He’s been doing it for a long time at a very high level and from everything I’ve seen, he hasn’t slowed down even a little bit,” fullback C.J. Ham said. “I’ve competed against him for so long. We’ve had that mutual respect after every game dapping each other up and telling each other to keep going. Now, to be on the same team with him, I think the sky is the limit.”

It’s safe to say Jones has already made a good impression on his teammates. He’s looked explosive in training camp and it’s not hard to envision him making a big impact if he gets some blocking in front of him.

“He’s special,” left tackle Christian Darrisaw said. “It’s a blessing to have a running back like that. He can make anybody miss whether it’s the first level, second level, or third level. We know if we do our job, he’s going to bust it and make a big play.”

The key for Jones will be staying healthy. His struggles with injuries last season has motivated him to take a more proactive approach ahead of this season, and he can already feel it paying off.

“This is the best I’ve felt,’ Jones said. “I’m ready to have the best year of my career.”

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