NFL: Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) dives for a touchdown against New Orleans Saints on Oct. 11, 2026, in New Orleans.
After a costly fumble in the red zone on Sunday at the Superdome, veteran running back Aaron Jones was stuck in the blue medical tent, unable to cheer on the defense while it tried to bail him out for his mistake.
After the Minnesota Vikings allowed the New Orleans Saints to score a touchdown on the ensuing possession, Jones strapped on his helmet, trotted off the sideline and joined the rest of the offense in the huddle.
His return to action felt like his way of trying to right a wrong. He knew he screwed up by putting the ball on the ground. He wanted to atone sooner rather than later.
“Anytime I make a mistake I hold myself accountable and try to make up for it,” Jones said. “I was on the sideline, and I definitely felt like, ‘I’ve got to go make up for it.’ It’s not what I wanted. I had to lead by example.”
That’s exactly what Jones did despite the fact he wasn’t operating at 100%.
“Honestly, I feel bad for him sometimes,” quarterback Kyler Murray said with a laugh. “It looks like he’s hobbling, and he just keeps going.”
It ended up being the best game in recent memory for Jones as he finished with a career-high-tying 25 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown. The only other time he has gotten that much work was on Dec. 29, 2019.
It was the latest example of Jones shouldering the load in the absence of Jordan Mason. The importance of that can’t be overstated with the Vikings sitting at a perfect 5-0 heading into the bye week.
The original plan for the Vikings was to have Jones and Mason share the responsibilities in the backfield. Maybe a 50-50 split. Maybe some stretches of riding the hot hand. Maybe even Jones eventually ceding some reps to Mason for good.
That went out the window when Mason suffered a broken thumb that required surgery and landed him on injured reserve. The stats speak for themselves over the past month, as Jones has recorded 85 carries since Mason went down.
There hasn’t been anybody to spell Jones in the backfield. No help walking through that door. Not once has he complained.
Though the presence of veteran DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne offered a breather here and there, the Vikings leaned on Jones as much as humanly possible.
“He has responded in a way that it’s hard to even put into words his toughness,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “He has been an absolute pro. He’s a warrior. Just so thankful that we have Aaron Jones on our team.”
As he should be. There’s no way the Vikings are undefeated without him. Heck, the Vikings might not even beat the Saints without Jones coming back into the game because they would’ve been left with Dallas and Claiborne to pick up the pieces.
After being cleared to return, Jones continued to grind out chunks of yards to move the chains as the Vikings slowly but surely retook control. He capped his performance by running over a defender en route to a touchdown that proved to be the difference.
Is he ever going to take a handoff, wiggle through a sliver of space and turn on the afterburners en route to a long touchdown run? No. That dynamism is reserved for the elite of the elite, like Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson or Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t value in the skill set Jones brings to the table. His willingness to take punishment without hesitation has allowed the Vikings to stay committed to the run game amid a stretch that could end up defining the season.
That explains why O’Connell gave Jones a game ball for his efforts. He knows that the Vikings wouldn’t have been able to withstand that adversity without somebody like that leading the charge.
After accepting the game ball in the locker room, Jones asked O’Connell if he could say something to his teammates. He kept it short and sweet. He just wanted to thank them for having his back after his costly fumble in the red zone.
“When it didn’t go right, y’all was there to pick me up,” Jones said. “That’s what brothers do. So thank y’all boys.”
It’s the least his teammates could do after everything Jones has done for them over the past month.
____________________________________
This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here.