Ex-NFL All-Pro puts lofty expectations on Aaron Jones after breakout year with Vikings

In March 2024, former Green Bay Packers star Aaron Jones signed a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings. However, his breakout season impressed the franchise that they offered the veteran a two-year extension worth $20 million.

Former NFL All-Pro running back turned analyst Maurice Jones-Drew has put some lofty expectations on Jones ahead of the 2025 NFL campaign.

Last season, Jones played 17 games and accumulated 1,138 rushing yards. He made 51 receptions, scored five rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. While ranking all the running backs in the NFL, Jones-Drew put Jones at No. 9. He also said that he will at least match his 2024 stats, if not surpass them.

"Jones posted career-high marks in carries and rush yards in his first season in Minnesota, resulting in a two-year extension (stop me if you've heard this before)," Jones-Drew said, via NFL.com. "He has an opportunity to build on that performance with the Vikings handing the keys to the offense to first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

"With the interior of Minnesota's offensive line completely overhauled in free agency (Will Fries and Ryan Kelly) and the draft (first-round pick Donovan Jackson), I think Jones will at least match his 2024 numbers."

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones praises his quarterback J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings had a strong 2024 NFL campaign, finishing with a 14-3 record. However, the team's QB1, J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury in the preseason. In his absence, Sam Darnold stepped up and had a Pro Bowl campaign. It caused a lot of chatter about who should be the Vikings' first-choice signal-caller moving forward.

However, Minnesota decided to stick to its original plans. Aaron Jones appeared on "Good Morning Football" in April and said that he has full faith in McCarthy and his ability to lead.

"J.J.’s a winner," Jones said.

"If you look from high school through his time in college, he’s lost one career game. He came in (and) in his short time there, he was balling. The preseason, he ended up getting hurt, unfortunately. But I think it might’ve been a quarterback battle if he didn’t get hurt. He’s different. He’s a competitor. He wants to be great and he’s hungry.”

It'll be interesting to see how far the Vikings would go in the upcoming season.