The last time veteran running back Aaron Jones left Green Bay as a member of the Packers, he thought he was coming back. He had his exit interview with Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst in the winter with the understanding that he would return for organized team activities in the spring.

The calculus changed when Jones was approached later about taking a massive pay cut. He respectfully declined, and the Packers cut him as a result. That allowed the Vikings to swoop in at the start of free agency, signing Jones to a 1-year, $7 million contract that has proven to be a bargain so far.

Now, as the Vikings prepare to play the Packers at noon Sunday at Lambeau Field, Jones isn’t holding any grudges toward his former team. He actually wrote a lengthy piece in the Players Tribune this week to express his gratitude about that chapter of his life.

“It’s nothing but love,” Jones said. “I understand it’s a business and at some point they need to make business decisions.”

After moving to Minnesota with his family, Jones briefly returned to Green Bay shortly thereafter to pack up his stuff. Though he had processed a lot of his feelings by that point, he found himself overwhelmed by some of the memories that came rushing back.

“Wow, I’m back in Green Bay,” Jones thought to himself at the time. “Who would’ve thought I’d be here packing my stuff up?”

That nostalgia for the Packers has since been replaced by joy for the Vikings.

“This is where my heart is,” Jones said of Minnesota. “I love everything about this organization.”

It’s a mutual adoration. As impressive as Jones has been on the field, helping propel the Vikings to a 3-0 start, he has been arguably even more impressive off the field, establishing himself as an integral part of the locker room in short order.

It’s effortless for Jones. It always has been. He has a genuineness about him that seemingly has its own gravitational pull.

Just talk to people Jones has impacted over the course of his life.

You start to realize the Vikings gained — and the Packers lost — a lot more than a football player.

‘His legacy will live on forever’

After being selected by the Packers in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, Jones quickly made a name for himself in training camp while competing alongside fellow rookie running back Jamaal Williams.

His talent was undeniable, and with every rep in practice, Jones started to gain the respect of former Packers franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Meanwhile, former Packers star receiver Davante Adams was also taking note, claiming Jones as his guy to anyone who would listen.

“I remember the receivers would talk about who our dark horse was to make the team,” former Packers receiver Randall Cobb said. “‘ll never forget Davante being like, “It’s Aaron Jones.’ He could see the ability that he had from the jump. He was spot on.”

After finding some success early on, Jones slowly earned himself more playing time. He went on to start 85 games with the Packers in total, recording 5,940 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns, to go along with 2,076 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns.

The big plays would consistently show up on film as would the nuanced details only his teammates would notice.

“He was so selfless,” former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan said. “He would have like 20 to 25 carries in the game, getting his (expletive) beat up, then all of sudden he’s blocking downfield for other players on our team. That’s his standard. He’s 110 percent every single play no matter what.”

Aaron Jones #33 of the Green Bay Packers does the Lambeau Leap to celebrate a touchdown with fans against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Lambeau Field on Sept. 20, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

That speaks to who Jones is at his core. His parents Alvin and Vurgess were in the military and always taught Aaron and his siblings to put others before themselves. That was on display a few years ago as Jones navigated the death of his father while still being there for his teammates.

“I could never even imagine the feelings he was dealing with on a daily basis,” Cobb said. “He still came into the building and was that life source for everybody else. He’s an incredible person. Just fortunate I was able to cross paths with him.”

It’s not hard to figure out why Packers head coach Matt LaFleur considers Jones among his favorite players ever. It’s the same reason many Packers fans will proudly wear their No. 33 jerseys this weekend despite the fact that Jones now plays for the Vikings.

“He was everything,” LaFleur told reporters in Green Bay this week. “His legacy will live on forever.”

‘You could always count on him’

As an 18-year-old at the University of Texas at El Paso, Jones ripped off something like an 80-yard run during the first scrimmage of training camp. A few hours later, former UTEP head coach Sean Kugler pulled his redshirt during a team meeting, leaving no doubt that Jones would be playing as a true freshman.

“We kind of all looked around like, ‘Oh (expletive). This guy is for real,’” former UTEP receiver Cole Freytag said. “The stats speak for themselves.”

Indeed. As the straw that stirred the drink for UTEP in the mid 2010s, Jones recorded 4,114 rushing yards and 33 rushing touchdowns. He still holds the school record for rushing yards in a career, and it’s hard to imagine anybody surpassing that number anytime soon.

“He made an uncommon impression here,” UTEP play-by-play announcer Jon Teicher said. “We got to see it firsthand, so I don’t think anybody is surprised by what he’s gone on to do.”

After briefly highlighting Jones for what he could do out of the backfield, Freytag and Teicher each spent about 10 minutes gushing about the way he carried himself. There was a positivity from Jones that seemed to be contagious.

There was a particular clip from last year that stood out to to former UTEP receiver Autrey Golden when reminiscing about Jones as a teammate. It showed Jones comforting Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks on the sideline after a fumble.

“I messaged him and said, ‘That’s the thing I missed most,’ ” Golden said. “I almost find myself envious of the people that still get to be his teammate.”

It doesn’t surprise Golden that Jones still carries himself the way he did when they were teammates.

“It’s almost like watching our favorite superhero save the day over and over again,” Golden said. “I think I speak for the whole city of El Paso when I say that.”

The explains why former UTEP tight end Hayden Plinke could be heard smiling through the phone this week when Jones came up in conversation.

Though he will always remember the time Jones rushed for a 91-yard touchdown against Texas Tech — which was led then by Kansas City Chiefs superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes — Plinke would much rather talk about their friendship.

“He’s the most loyal person I’ve ever met,” Plinke said. “You could always count on him.”

A perfect example of that came a few years ago when Plinke was struggling following the death of his mother. Never mind that it had been a while since they played together at UTEP. As soon as he heard the news, Jones texted Plinke to make sure he was OK.

“That’s who he is,” Plinke said. “Just a really good dude. I wish more people in the world were like Aaron Jones. It seems like we could use that right now.”

‘You can tell he still loves it’

To say that Jones has been everything the Vikings have wanted him to be would be an understatement. He has turned a punchless rushing attack into a legitimate problem for opposing teams, which, in turn, makes the Vikings extremely difficult to scheme against on a weekly basis.

“The offense is perfect for me,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m a versatile back and here I got to show that whether it’s in the run game or the pass game.”

As the focal point for the Vikings out of backfield, Jones has amassed 325 yards from scrimmage in three games. He has a pair of touchdowns, as well, and if he gets in the end zone this weekend at Lambeau Field, he plans to celebrate accordingly.

“I’m definitely leaping,” Jones said with a smile. “I’m definitely leaping.”

The impact that Jones has made on the field hasn’t surprised head coach Kevin O’Connell in the slightest. Neither has the impact Jones has made off the field.

Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell gives running back Aaron Jones (33) a hug after Jones scored his first touchdown for the Vikings during the first quarter of a NFL football game against the Houston Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

“I think Aaron Jones is a special human being that happens to be among the best in the league at what he does,” O’Connell said. “He’s an absolutely great teammate, and I think he was the same for the team we’re playing.”

It was a similar tone this week from Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips, veteran quarterback Sam Darnold, star receiver Justin Jefferson, and anybody else who was asked about Jones.

“He comes in and it doesn’t take long to realize why everybody in Green Bay loved him for a long time,” right tackle Brian O’Neill said. “It’s cool to see older guys who come from somewhere else to still feel like a little kid playing football. You can feel that from him. You can tell he still loves it.”

As he prepares himself from flood of the emotions that are bound to pop up at random this weekend, Jones joked that the Vikings staying in Appleton, roughly 30 minutes outside of Green Bay, should help combat some of that.

So will the game itself.

“I’m going to be in the zone,” Jones said. “Ultimately, I’m just excited to go back and have the full circle moment.”

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