Vikings foe turned friend Aaron Jones already has one foot out the door

The Minnesota Vikings enjoyed tremendous offensive success this season en route to a 14-3 record.

It was revelation all around, with Sam Darnold emerging from the depths of QB purgatory to put together a Pro Bowl campaign. Kevin O'Connell is the favorite to win Coach of the Year for his play-calling acumen, while Aaron Jones — in his first season with the organization he once considered a staunch rival — compiled 1,546 yards from scrimmage (the second-most of his career) and seven touchdowns.

Jones, a former Green Bay Packers staple and constant Vikings nuisance, quite enjoyed the amenities provided in Minnesota. A great offensive line and an explosive passing attack set the table nicely for Jones, who found plenty of room to run between the tackles. Among the most versatile three-down backs in football, Jones was an important safety blanket for Darnold. He is both a dominant early-down scrambler and a nifty pass-catcher on second or third down, often giving Darnold an efficient check-down option when longer routes went bust.

The shelf-life for running backs is notoriously short, but Jones is 30 years old and appears to have plenty left in the tank. Minnesota signed him to a one-year, $7 million contract. He's primed to make even more, potentially, in 2025.

The question is: will the Vikings be paying him?

Aaron Jones could leave Vikings after one successful season

There's no reason for Minnesota to let Jones out the door, even as his contract inflates. There's a decent chance for Jones to get multiple years and a higher AAV on his next deal, as the market was awfully kind to running backs last season. There was criticism of the "significant" money handed out to Saquon Barkley, Joe Mixon, and Jones, among others. It's safe to say it paid off.

Even if the Vikings try to re-sign Jones, however, there's no guarantee that he returns. Other teams are bound to toss their hat in the ring, with ESPN's Benjamin Solak pointing to the Denver Broncos as a viable landing spot for the veteran.

"Denver will start to elevate their offense at running back, where their rotation has been lacking a reliable grinder who can handle 15-plus touches per game. Aaron Jones, should he become available, is an ideal fit on a front-loaded three-year deal. If Jones stays in Minnesota, the Broncos could try to pry Rico Dowdle out of Dallas."

The Broncos experienced tremendous success under rookie quarterback Bo Nix this season, but the offense was, at times, unbalanced. Denver's run game finished around the middle of the pack, averaging 112.2 yards per game in the regular season. The Broncos' running backs only managed 36 yards in their postseason loss to Buffalo, though, with Nix outpacing the entire group (four rushes, 43 yards).

Rather than a viable RB1, the Broncos took a committee approach in the RB room, with Javonte Williams (8.2 attempts per game) and Jaleel McLaughlin (7.1 attempts per game) almost splitting touches equally. Both were fine, but neither came close to matching the volume and efficiency of the NFL's very best running backs.

Despite the pervasive narrative around RBs in modern times, there are pronounced benefits to an elite workhorse in the backfield. Jones would support Nix in every aspect of the game, whether he's darting between the tackles, running sharp routes, or supplying timely blocks. Sean Payton understands the value of a dynamic, Swiss Army Knife halfback as well as anyone. If the Broncos want to take the offense to the next level, it will take more than just a wide receiver upgrade.