Vikings news: Aaron Jones, T.J. Hockenson updates, streak vs. Lions in jeopardy, Patrick Peterson reunion

Coming off their bye week, the undefeated Minnesota Vikings face a tough test in Week 7 as they take on the Detroit Lions, who decimated the Dallas Cowboys this past Sunday by a score of 47-9.

As the two best teams in what's easily the best division in the NFL right now (every team has at least four wins), this clash between the Vikings and Lions is easily one of the most highly anticipated games of the season to this point.

The Vikings have been fantastic on both sides of the football and enter this game leading the league with a +63 point differential. But thanks to their dominant win over Dallas, the Lions sit in second place in that department at +60.

Minnesota has had the tougher schedule of the two thus far, but it's not as if Detroit has beaten a bunch of bad teams thus far. The Vikings are the early betting favorites, but not by much. The Aidan Hutchinson injury may have played a small role in that, as Sam Darnold and the Minnesota offense will obviously have it a bit easier without Hutchinson in the Lions' lineup.

And if the positive news surrounding Aaron Jones to start the week is any indication, that offense will be a lot stronger. And that's where we'll kick things off.

Aaron Jones is back at Vikings practice; T.J. Hockenson's status is still up in the air

After Aaron Jones to a hip injury early in their Week 5 win over the New York Jets in London, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell designated his starting running back as "week-to-week" last Tuesday.

While Jones isn't yet a lock to suit up on Sunday afternoon when Minnesota welcomes Detroit to U.S. Bank Stadium, the fact that he was at practice on Monday is a good sign. Sure, this was just a light workout at the TCO Performance Center, but it's still encouraging.

Jones has been a key piece in the Vikings' offensive puzzle this season, racking up 350 yards and a touchdown on the ground and an additional 167 yards and a score as a receiver. The Minnesota offense sputtered a bit against the Jets once Jones left the game, so having him back in the lineup for this crucial contest against the Lions will obviously be helpful.

His participation level from Wednesday to Friday will be monitored closely.

As for tight end T.J. Hockenson, who's been sidelined since tearing both the ACL and MCL in his right knee against Detroit last December, he was also at practice on Monday. While Vikings Territory has reported that he won't play against the Lions, no official announcement has been made on his status for Week 7.

Like Jones, Hockenson will be closely monitored as the week rolls along, and the official injury reports later in the week will tell us a lot more. If he doesn't return against the Lions, he'll definitely be in uniform four days later for a Thursday Night Football matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Vikings haven't lost to the Lions four times in a row for more than 60 years

Minnesota enters this Week 7 matchup riding a three-game losing streak to Detroit, last beating the Lions in Week 2 of the 2022 campaign.

While past matchups obviously have no bearing on what will take place on Sunday, it's interesting to note that the Vikings haven't lost to the Lions four consecutive times in more than 60 years. Minnesota joined the NFL in 1961 and lost its first five contests against Detroit, finally picking up a 34-31 win in Week 11 of the 1963 season.

Since then, the Vikings have dominated the rivalry and come into this game holding an 80-43-2 all-time advantage in the series.

Patrick Peterson would love to wear a Minnesota uniform again

While longtime Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson only played two seasons with the Vikings, the eight-time Pro Bowler made his presence felt wearing purple, recording six interceptions and 111 tackles between the 2021 and 2022 campaigns.

And if the 34-year-old free agent had his way, he'd love to wear a Minnesota uniform again.

Speaking with Infinity Sports Network's Zach Gelb, Peterson, who spent last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, stated that he's still training and would be ecstatic if O'Connell gave him a call.

"I'm still working out because my mind is still in it," Peterson said. "It's not like I cannot physically play, or I feel like I can't physically give my best. I feel like I still have, you know, enough in my tank to help a team win, but that decision is out of my hands.

"I would like to be [in Minnesota] too, man. I love the coaching staff there. Coach Kevin had an opportunity to build a solid relationship over the nine months that I was with him, and it's just a great feel and a great organization to be around. Great guys to be around and show up to work with every day."

The Vikings' secondary has been stellar this season, leading the league in interceptions thus far with 11, already matching the team total from 2023.

Minnesota doesn't necessarily need Peterson, but adding some veteran experience wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, especially if someone goes down with an injury. And with little draft capital with which to bargain as the trade deadline nears, getting what would assumingly be a relatively inexpensive option in free agency at this point in the year might be worth considering.

It likely won't happen, but it's certainly an entertaining thought.