Aaron Jones, Vikings
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Vikings running back Aaron Jones
Although Aaron Jones appears to be a potential Minnesota Vikings cap casualty, his heir apparent may not offer as much promise.
Jones carries the third-highest cap hit among all NFL running backs with a $14.5 million cap number for the 2026 season — behind only Alvin Kamara and Jonathan Taylor. His steep price comes after Jordan Mason played more snaps than him, but also averaged 4.8 yards per carry compared to Jones’ 4.2-yard average.
It’s a tough bill to justify for the Vikings, who would be wise to seek a restructure with the former Pro Bowl running back.
However, if the two sides cannot reach an agreement, fans’ sights are on drafting a blue-chip running back like Notre Dame star Jeremiyah Love, a consensus top-10 pick who could slip to Minnesota in the late-teens of the first round of April’s draft.
To fans’ chagrin, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis is not sold that the Vikings would spend a high-value pick at running back.
Backfield mate Jordan Mason is an efficient runner, but he’s not a proven three-down guy. That’s why the Vikings could find themselves in the market for another back if they part ways with Jones,” Lewis wrote, answering a February 23 fan mailbag question. “The more likely outcome would be a free-agent acquisition. Below is a table comparing some of the available free agents to Jones.”
That makes Love likely out of the conversation, even if the Vikings must replace Jones, who would create $8 million in cap space by being released.
Free-Agent Replacements for Vikings RB Aaron Jones
If the Vikings release Jones, they will likely seek another back to pair with Mason to form a one-two punch in the backfield. That won’t require a top-tier back that would demand an eight-figure salary for next season.
Breece Hall highlights the top of running back free agency after Javonte Williams set the market with a three-year, $24 million deal to re-sign with the Dallas Cowboys over the weekend. Spotrac projects Hall to garner a $10.3 million-a-year deal — which is a bit rich for the cap-strapped Vikings.
A tier below would be Kenneth Walker III, Rachaad White, Travis Etienne and Rico Dowdle, all expected to garner deals north of $6 million a year.
From there, there are many low-cost, upside options: Brian Robinson, Michael Carter, Kenneth Gainwell, Najee Harris, Tyler Allgeier and Jerome Ford.
Vikings running back Ty Chandler is also a pending free agent. He was relegated to a special teams role with the arrival of Mason and the emergence of Zavier Scott and is likely ready to compete for opportunities elsewhere.
Vikings Get Promising Jeremiyah Love Update
GettyJeremiyah Love #4 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Although landing Love would be a stretch, some draftniks believe Love could slip.
The Vikings cannot afford to sell the farm to trade up, but if Love falls in range of the Vikings’ No. 18 overall pick, NFL Media’s Charles Davis considers Love a must-have for Minnesota.
“Are teams undervaluing the running back position again?”Davis wrote in his NFL.com mock draft that was published on Feb. 19. “The Vikings cannot pass on a top-three talent in this year’s draft. Head coach Kevin O’Connell will find plenty of plays for him.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Love recently said he would “be blessed” to land in Minnesota. The Notre Dame back tallied 433 carries for 2,882 yards and has scored 42 touchdowns in 41 games for Notre Dame in his college career.