Aaron Jones has been a great addition for the Minnesota Vikings ever since the veteran running back parted with the rival Green Bay Packers in the 2024 offseason and made the smart decision to sign with the purple and gold.
However, it's possible that Jones might have already played his final snap in a Vikings uniform.
The Minnesota running back is currently pretty banged-up and dealing with multiple injuries, so his status for the team's regular-season finale against the Packers is up in the air.
Given the uncertainty about Jones' availability this weekend, the Vikings have reportedly added free-agent running back Sincere McCormick to the team's practice squad, according to KPRC 2 Houston's Aaron Wilson on Wednesday.
With it seeming like both Jones and Jordan Mason are unlikely to play on Sunday due to injuries, the addition of McCormick became necessary since Ty Chandler and Zavier Scott appear to be the only other running backs who will be able to suit up for Minnesota this weekend.
Has Aaron Jones already played his final game with the Minnesota Vikings?
Back in March, Jones signed a new deal with the Vikings that put him under contract with the team until the end of the 2026 season. But it's possible that Minnesota will decide to move on from the Pro Bowl running back before his current deal expires.
For the upcoming offseason, the Vikings are currently projected to be more than $37 million over the salary cap, so they're definitely going to have some cap casualties in 2026, and Jones could be one of them.
Jones, who just turned 31 on December 2nd, has a $14 million cap hit for next season, which is currently scheduled to be the third-highest for an NFL running back in 2026, behind only Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts and Alvin Kamara of the New Orleans Saints.
Minnesota can clear $8 million in cap space by releasing Jones in the upcoming offseason, and the chances of that seem pretty high unless he's willing to take a pay cut that reduces his cap hit next year by a similar amount.
If Jones was playing at a level this season that was similar to how he performed in 2024 when he racked up 1,546 total yards (1,138 rushing and 408 receiving) and seven touchdowns, then it might be easier for the Vikings to just move forward with his current cap hit for 2026.
But due to missing four games with an injury earlier this season and other circumstances, he's only been able to accumulate 747 total yards and three touchdowns in the 2025 campaign, and that production is not worth letting him move forward with the third-highest running back cap hit in the league next season.