Aaron Jones says he wants to finish his career with Vikings
Aaron Jones has gone out of his way to laud his experience with the Vikings.
Though some of it might be his way of sticking it to the Green Bay Packers for releasing him ahead of free agency, Jones has also genuinely enjoyed every part of the process since signing with the Vikings.
It has gotten to the point that Jones, who is a pending free agent, can’t see himself playing anywhere else.
“This is an excellent place,” Jones said. “This is where I hope to finish my career.”
That’s a conversation for another time.
The focus at the moment is a game between the Vikings and the Lions on Sunday night at Ford Field in Detroit. The winner will be crowned NFC North champions and will earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. The loser will fall to the No. 5 seed.
After being listed as a limited participant in the walkthrough on Wednesday afternoon at TCO Performance Center, Jones made it clear that he fully intends to play Sunday.
“I’m getting better and better,” Jones said. “I’ll be ready.”
The only reason this is even a question is because Jones suffered a quad injury last weekend during the game between the Vikings and the Packers. He got hurt early in the game after landing awkwardly on a play, and while he played through the pain for a prolonged stretch, the Vikings eventually decided to play it safe.
How was Jones feeling in the immediate aftermath?
“I had some swelling right after the game,” Jones said. “I got right on it with my recovery.”
It’s impossible to overstate how much Jones has meant to the Vikings. He has played in every game, recording 245 carries for 1,093 yards, and 46 catches for 378 yards.
The fact Jones is in line to play in every game is a point of pride for him considering so many started to write him off after last season.
“Oh definitely,” Jones said. “I missed a handful of games and played through injuries as well, and with that I guess the narrative got out that I was injury prone. It’’s been nice to slash that narrative and throw it out the window. The guys know whatever I go through throughout the week I’m going to be ready.”
Briefly
On the injury report, the Vikings listed edge rusher Pat Jones II (knee) and linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (illness) as non participants. It’s unclear if either one can play Sunday.
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