With their win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will get the chance to play for the No. 1 seed in the NFC next week when they take on the Detroit Lions. But now, the Vikings might have to figure out how to get a victory next weekend with a banged-up version of running back Aaron Jones.
During the final quarter of Sunday's win over the Packers, Jones didn't touch the football once, and he wasn't on the field during Minnesota's final offensive drive of the matchup that sealed the victory.
Well, in his post-game press conference, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed that the veteran running back was dealing with a quad contusion late in the contest, and the team made a decision to keep him out of action. However, O'Connell also said that Jones was ready to go back in if necessary.
Minnesota Vikings pass rusher expected to miss time after suffering injury in win over Green Bay Packers
In addition to Minnesota's No. 1 running back sustaining an injury on Sunday, Vikings pass rusher Patrick Jones II was forced to leave the game early after going down with a knee injury.
After the contest, O'Connell shared that Jones will probably "miss a little bit of time" and he will undergo additional testing on his knee on Monday.
It's a tough break for Jones, who is in the final year of his rookie contract with Minnesota, so hopefully, his injury isn't something that impacts his future in the league.
This season has easily been Jones's best with the Vikings since the team selected him in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Heading into Sunday's game, he had already accumulated 39 tackles (nine for a loss), 24 pressures, seven sacks, and one forced fumble in 14 appearances.
Luckily, Minnesota's pass rushers are not a position group that is lacking depth this year. So, even if Jones has to miss time, guys like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner should be able to make up for his absence.