Admin October 16, 2024
NFL Owners approve Brady’s minority ownership stake in Vegas Raiders
Tom Brady has been approved by NFL owners to purchase a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders in a move commissioner Roger Goodell said was a great sign of the health of the league.
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a Week 6 bye and are looking to stay undefeated in a division rivalry matchup against the Detroit Lions.
One of the main questions Minnesota supporters have entering the contest is whether star Minnesota running back Aaron Jones will be in action for the contest.
Jones suffered a hip injury in the Vikings‘ Week 5 win over the New York Jets in London. He played just 16 offensive snaps before exiting the game and did not return because of the malady.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell announced before the bye that Jones was “week-to-week” because of the injury. That gave some hope that Jones would be able to return to action after the bye, but Minnesota’s trade for Cam Akers on Oct. 15 have led many to speculate that Jones could face a longer absence than initially expected.
Here’s what to know about Jones’ injury and his status for Week 7 against the Lions.
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Aaron Jones injury update
The Vikings have yet to provide an official injury update about Jones’ status coming out of the Week 6 bye, but O’Connell said the running back “avoided a long-term injury” after their 23-17 win over the Jets in London.
“Aaron Jones continues to be evaluated, but all the early information that we’ve gotten so far, it looks like we’ve avoided a long-term injury, but I would classify him as really week to week at this point,” O’Connell said on Oct. 8, per Vikings.com. “He’ll get treatment throughout this week, and I’ll give you guys an update where he’s at next week, as we hopefully work him back into practice.”
Jones was on the field for “a light bonus [practice] session” on Oct. 14, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert.
The Vikings won’t release their first Week 7 practice report until Wednesday, Oct. 16. Jones will be listed as either a full, limited or non-participant for that session. Logging anything limited or better would be a positive development for Jones while earning a “DNP” would cast doubt on his Week 7 availability.
Is Aaron Jones playing Week 7?
It isn’t yet clear whether Jones will play in NFL Week 7. So long as he isn’t placed on injured reserve (IR), Jones will be allowed to practice and may have a chance to play.
The Vikings will not designate his game status until Friday, when he will be listed as questionable, doubtful, out or fully removed from the injury report.
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Vikings RB depth chart
Jones is the clear-cut top running back on the Vikings, who are now four-deep at running back after trading for Akers. Below is a look at Minnesota’s running back rotation:
- Aaron Jones
- Ty Chandler
- Cam Akers
- Myles Gaskin
Chandler averaged a respectable 4.5 yards per carry last season on 102 rushes, which was good enough for him to win the backup job coming into the 2024 NFL season. However, he has generated just 147 yards on 42 carries (3.5 yards per game) so far this season, so O’Connell may not want to give him a full workload if Jones’ absence costs him any time.
That’s part of the reason the Vikings traded for Akers. They acquired the veteran running back from the Los Angeles Rams before the 2023 NFL trade deadline and while he wasn’t any great shakes in Minnesota (138 yards and a touchdown on 38 carries), he is familiar with O’Connell’s offensive system. That will allow him to assume a role as Chandler’s top backup if Jones can’t play in Week 7.
Meanwhile, Gaskin is another experienced runner who posted 972 scrimmage yards for the Miami Dolphins in 2020. He will serve as a depth option for the team while former Colts running back Zavier Scott is available on the practice squad should the Vikings need reinforcements at the position.