As veteran running back Aaron Jones stood on the sidelines last weekend at MetLife Stadium, he figured he probably wasn’t going to touch the field again. At that point, the Vikings were already well on their way to a 28-6 win over the New York Giants, so Jones assumed reserve running back Myles Gaskin would get the nod for the final series of the game.

That changed when Jones saw Gaskin run back toward the sidelines.

After a dominant closing stretch with the Green Bay Packers last season, Jones came to the Vikings this season having rushed for more than 100 yards in five straight games. There was a chance to make it six straight games with Jones closing in on 100 yards late in the game between the Vikings and Giants.

Those types of milestones are important to players, and coach Kevin O’Connell knows it. So coming out of a stoppage, he decided to give Jones one more carry to go over the century mark. Unfortunately for Jones, he only gained a yard on the play, and he finished with 14 carries for 94 yards.

“I really respect Kevin for that,” Jones said. “He left me in there.”

The fact that O’Connell was willing to do that meant something to Jones.

“I’d like to thank him for that,” Jones said. “That was special.”

Though he didn’t go over 100 yards against the Giants, Jones is hoping to do so against the San Francisco 49ers this weekend. That would be the start of a new streak for him

“We’ve got 16 games left,” Jones said. “Hopefully I get it 16 games in a row.”

Addison misses practice again

It’s not looking good for receiver Jordan Addison as he continues to work through an ankle injury. He did not practice on Thursday afternoon, and his availability for this weekend seems to be very much up in the air.

It will be interesting to see how the Vikings decide to list Addison on Friday afternoon when they are required to give an injury designation. If Addison is ruled out for the game between the Vikings and the 49ers, speedy receiver Jalen Nailor will likely start opposite Justin Jefferson.

The only other player on the Vikings that did not practice on Thursday afternoon was veteran safety Harrison Smith (hip), while center Garrett Bradbury (knee), right tackle Brian O’Neill (elbow), and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (foot) were listed as limited participants.

McCarthy listed as limited

As the Vikings prepare for the 49ers, they are likely keeping a watchful eye on the status of running back Christian McCaffrey. He surprisingly was ruled out on Monday night after entering the game between the 49ers and New York Jets listed as questionable.

Technically, McCaffrey was listed as a limited participant on Thursday afternoon. The fact that he’s dealing with an Achilles injury is likely the biggest reason the 49ers are being cautious with him. They have Super Bowl aspirations down the road, so it makes sense not to rush McCaffrey back before he’s 100 percent.

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