4 Aaron Jones replacements Vikings could sign to take pressure off J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of decisions to make during the NFL offseason. At the top of the list: whether to bring back quarterback Sam Darnold, who earned a trip to the Pro Bowl with the best season of his career, or hand the reins to young J.J. McCarthy, whom they selected with the 10th overall pick in last year's NFL draft. As Darnold may have priced himself out of Minnesota, the Vikes will seemingly roll with McCarthy moving forward, but nothing is set in stone just yet.

Beyond the quarterback position, though, the Vikings also have a big decision to make at running back. Like Darnold, Aaron Jones was signed to a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 season and, also like Darnold, he exceeded all expectations. Playing in every game for just the third time in his eight-year career, the former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowler rushed for a career-high 1,138 yards with five touchdowns and added 408 yards and two scores on 51 receptions.

It may surprise some to know that Jones led the Vikings in total yards from scrimmage with 1,546, besting superstar wideout Justin Jefferson by 10 yards. Those 1,546 yards were also good for eighth among all NFL players.

Minnesota's dilemma is that Jones recently turned 30, which has long been seen as the age at which running backs start to precipitously decline. Money isn't an issue; the Vikings have plenty of salary cap space, and they might be able to snag Jones at or near the $7 million they paid him this past year. But after such a strong season, Jones may want more. And if that's the case, Minnesota will likely look elsewhere, either in free agency, the NFL draft, or both.

We won't get into draft options here, but let's have a look at some free-agent options the Vikings could consider.

1. Nick Chubb

Given Nick Chubb's injury history, there's obviously some risk here for the Vikings. But if they plan to select a running back in the draft, this could be an interesting option to explore to share the workload.

From 2019 to 2022, Chubb was one of the best backs in the league, earning four straight Pro Bowl selections with the Cleveland Browns while averaging 1,336 yards and 10 touchdowns per season. These past two years, of course, haven't gone his way: He appeared in just two games in 2023 after suffering ACL and MCL injuries, which also cost him the early portion of the 2024 campaign. Chubb ultimately appeared in eight games this past year, but a broken foot in Week 15 ended his season early.

Chubb will turn 30 in December, so he's clearly not a long-term solution. But if the Vikings are looking for a temporary option, a one-year "prove-it" deal could be something to consider.

2. Najee Harris

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a bit of a pickle, as both Harris and Jaylen Warren are set to enter free agency (although Warren is a restricted free agent, meaning Pittsburgh can place a tender on him and match any offer he receives). Harris, however, will hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent and will undoubtedly have plenty of suitors.

While not often included in the conversation when it comes to the best backs in the league, the 2021 first-round pick is the only player in the NFL to rush for at least 1,000 yards in each of the last four seasons, averaging 1,078 yards and seven touchdowns per year during that stretch. Like Jones, he's also a fantastic pass-catcher: While the Alabama alum doesn't get the targets he did as a rookie — he had 74 receptions for 473 yards on 94 targets in 2021 — he's still averaged just over 35 catches and 227 yards across the past three years.

Harris is also as durable as they come, as he's yet to miss a single game as a professional. He'll undoubtedly be more expensive than probably anyone on this list, but the 26-year-old would fit in wonderfully with the Minnesota offense.

3. Rico Dowdle

Undrafted out of South Carolina in 2020, Rico Dowdle did just enough to keep himself on the Dallas Cowboys' roster for the first four years of his career. And with Tony Pollard out of the picture and the Ezekiel Elliott reunion turning into an absolute disaster for America's Team this past season, Dowdle finally got his chance to shine — and he made the most of the opportunity, especially down the stretch.

Over the Cowboys' final six games, the 26-year-old surpassed the 100-yard mark four times and averaged 98.5 yards per game. Dowdle ultimately rushed for 1,079 yards on the season, averaging 4.6 yards per carry, and tallied 1,328 total yards from scrimmage. He's the type of versatile guy Kevin O'Connell seems to love, and he won't be nearly as expensive as Harris.

4. Javonte Williams

From a statistical standpoint, Javonte Williams may not look as impressive as the other names on this list. Taking the 2022 campaign out of play, as he was limited to four games due to knee injuries, the 2021 second-round pick has averaged just 730 rushing yards in his other three seasons in the NFL. But in the last two years under Sean Payton, the Denver Broncos have gone to a "running back by committee" kind of style, thus limiting Williams' touches.

With a bigger workload, one would think he could hit the 1,000-yard mark. Furthermore, he's a fantastic receiver and also one of the best blocking backs in the league.