Aaron Jones and Cam Akers have stated that they want to continue with the Vikings. Whether either happens depends on what the team believes is the best method to improve its rushing assault in 2025.
Aaron Jones, Vikings running back, could only think of one word to describe how the season ended after the wild-card round loss to the Rams.
“It’s hard to explain,” said the veteran running back. “One of the worst feelings in the world.”
The offseason is filled with uncertainty for Jones, as well as the Vikings’ whole running back group.
Both Jones and backup Cam Akers are free agents. Jones joined the Vikings on a one-year contract from the Packers in March, while Akers arrived in October via a trade with the Texans.
In the 24 hours following the Vikings’ season-ending loss on Jan. 13, Jones and Akers both expressed a desire to return to Minnesota the following season.
“I’ve said it before, this is where I want to finish my career,” Jones said in the locker room after the game. “Hopefully, it turns out that way. This is an excellent organization. I’d love to be a Viking for a second year and for the rest of my life.”
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Akers noted that, while he has had positive interactions with his contemporaries throughout the league, he believes his relationship with Jones is unique.
“He embraced me right away,” Akers stated the following day during locker clearance. “I told him right away, ‘If you ever need me to come in and relieve you, I’ve got you. I’m only here to alleviate you. I learned from him throughout the season. I had the opportunity to ask him questions and learn from him. “I enjoy playing with him.
After struggling to develop consistency in their rushing assault this season, the Vikings will need to rebuild their run game.
They finished in the lowest half of the league in total rushing yards (1,855), yards per attempt (4.1), and yards per game (109.1) during the regular season. Their nine running touchdowns were the third fewest in the league, trailing only the Browns and Jets (8) and Cowboys (6).
And, while those concerns were frequently obscured by a good passing offense, the final two games of the season demonstrated the importance of having a run game that can relieve quarterback pressure and compel defenders to adapt.
In his end-of-season news conference last Thursday, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell stated that he felt the squad improved on the ground throughout the season, but acknowledged the need for additional work this offseason.
“There’s always going to be room to grow as we continue to build the 2025 version of Minnesota Vikings, having total alignment between our personnel, the things we do well in the run game, where our strong points are in the run game and then ultimately tying schemes into that,” according to O’Connell.
He praised Jones for his superior execution, which resulted in a career-high 1,138 rushing yards. He thanked Akers for incorporating his own skill set into what the squad was already doing when he arrived, which helped significantly while Jones battled a small quad injury in the latter weeks of the season.
O’Connell also stated the team still has “a lot of strong feelings toward” Ty Chandler, whom the Vikings drafted in the fifth round in 2022.
There are issues that give pause to all three. Jones is thirty and unlikely to be a long-term solution. The Vikings declined to sign Akers, who has two Achilles injuries, in free agency last year after acquiring him from the Rams during the 2023 season. Chandler’s use decreased this season, as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal.
However, adjustments at the running back position do not have to be the catalyst for further growth and stability in the run game.
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After the Rams game, O’Connell discussed the need of solidifying the offensive line’s interior, particularly in terms of quarterback assistance.
Last week, he stated that the offensive line will impact the team’s overall offense, with the goal of making the quarterback’s job easier and allowing for more friendly downs and distances.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Vikings General Manager, concurred with O’Connell’s views regarding the offensive line when he spoke last Thursday to finish the season, bringing up the run game without prodding and explaining that solutions in football are not always black-and-white.
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