Anyone who watched the Minnesota Vikings’ Week 10 game against the Baltimore Ravens will remember Aaron Jones running out of the tunnel into his mother, Vurgess’, open arms.
Here's a cool pregame moment as Aaron Jones' mother Vurgess, a 27 year Army vet, surprised Aaron on the field before today's Salute To Service game#Skol #Vikings pic.twitter.com/FxIvCOvWGU
— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) November 9, 2025
The Vikings were honoring veterans that day, and both of Jones’ parents served in the Army. It was a touching tribute to the former Green Bay Packers running back who became beloved in the Minnesota locker room.
That’s why it will be so hard to say goodbye to Jones. The Vikings will reportedly cut Jones, along with Javon Hargrave, if they cannot trade them before the league year starts on March 11.
In some ways, the two moves are similar. Jones and Hargrave offered value to the Vikings. However, Minnesota was overpaying them for their roles.
It’s not surprising that the Vikings would move on from Jones, given his age (31) and size (5’10”, 208 lbs.). Most running backs decline around age 30, and Minnesota has advanced metrics that indicate when to move off an aging player.
In 2022, Minnesota released Dalvin Cook after his fourth Pro Bowl season, where he had 1,173 yards in 17 games. Cook was only 27 when the Vikings cut him, but they moved on at the right time. He only had 234 yards with the New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, and Dallas Cowboys after leaving Minnesota. He didn’t play last year, his age-30 season.
On his current contract, Jones would carry a $14.55 million cap hit next season. That’s higher than Jonathan Taylor’s cap hit last year ($14 million). Only Saquon Barkley ($20.6 million), Christian McCaffrey ($19 million), and Derrick Henry ($15 million) had higher cap hits last season.
Aaron Jones had 548 yards in 12 games last year, coming off his 1,138-yard season after signing with the Vikings two years ago. Jones is valuable to Minnesota, but not as valuable as Barkley, McCaffrey, or Henry. Cutting him saves the cap-strapped Vikings $18.65 million in cap space.
The Vikings traded for Jordan Mason in the offseason, and he became their No. 1 back. Another team likely won’t sign Jones to be their bellcow, or even split running duties 50/50. Still, he could be a solid depth back.
However, Minnesota, or any other team, would have difficulty reducing Jones’ role and asking him to take a pay cut. Green Bay tried that with Jones before releasing him. Some players, like Harrison Smith, have taken gradual pay cuts as they’ve aged.
Still, it’s rare. Most players will move on to another team, then take a pay cut and a reduced role.
Hargrave’s situation is similar. The Vikings signed him to a two-year, $30 million contract to be an every-down defensive tackle. Hargrave rushed the passer effectively (70 pass-rush PFF grade). However, he was less effective against the run (57.3).
As a result, the Vikings removed him from running downs and used him in a rotational role. Hargrave, 32, only played 53% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps, fewer than any team has used him since the 2018 Pittsburgh Steelers. Hargrave was 25 that season and in his third year in the league.
Meanwhile, Jalen Redmond (62.5 PFF passing grade, 72.7 against the run) usurped Hargrave’s starting role. Redmond, 25, played 74% of Minnesota’s defensive snaps, largely because he could stop the run.
Another team will likely sign Hargrave to a rotational role. However, the Vikings can’t have Hargrave play a rotational role and carry a $21.5 million cap hit. Therefore, they’ll move on from him, as they will with Jones.
Such transactions are typical in the NFL. They’re still unfortunate, because it means a valuable player must play elsewhere. It’s hard to reduce their role and pay while keeping them on the team. There’s no putting the Aaron Jones genie back in the bottle.