Throughout the NFL playoffs, Sam Wallace, Mark Drumheller, and Jonathan Fuller will be highlighting the biggest NFL free agents heading into the 2025 offseason. We'll be breaking down the best and worst landing spots as well as projecting where key players will eventually sign.

Today's subject? 2024 Minnesota Vikings RB Aaron Jones.

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Best Landing Spots For Aaron Jones in 2025 NFL Free Agency

Jonathan Fuller: Jones is 30 years old and has accumulated nearly 1,900 career touches in his eight seasons. He did manage to play all 18 games for the Vikings this year, but it is difficult to imagine a team heading into the 2025 campaign with him as their workhorse. What I would love to see is a Los Angeles Chargers backfield that features Jones and J.K. Dobbins as their backfield duo alongside Justin Herbert.

Both Jones and Dobbins would benefit from a lighter season-long workload, especially for a team that will have serious playoff aspirations in 2025. However, they are both capable of handling a significant workload for a few weeks if the other misses time. The Chargers' RB depth was a major issue in 2024, as none of the RBs behind Dobbins averaged better than 3.6 yards per carry — and Jones has never been worse than 4.5 YPC in any season. 

Los Angeles should also be looking to upgrade their pass catchers this offseason, but that doesn't just mean WRs or TEs. Jones would be a significant improvement on the receiving skills of any of the Chargers' current backs, which would give Justin Herbert another dynamic weapon. From a fantasy perspective, I would be happy to draft both Jones and Dobbins in the middle rounds even if they both end up in Los Angeles.

Mark Drumheller: Jones’ first year with the Minnesota Vikings went as well as both sides could have hoped. Kevin O'Connell's offense leaned heavily on the ex-Packer, who amassed over 1,500 total yards while shouldering over 300 touches for the first time in his career. Jones also proved his versatility by eclipsing 400 yards as a receiver, something he failed to accomplish in his prior four seasons with Green Bay. 

Seeing Jones flourish under the tutelage of one of the best young coaches in the league leads me to one conclusion: Aaron Jones' best landing spot is right back with the Minnesota Vikings. 

How can you not be excited about what Jones can do after his first year in O’Connell’s system? The Vikings have a nice blend of cap space (fifth-most) and draft capital to upgrade an offensive line that ranked only 15th in run-block win rate. They will certainly prioritize having a solid ground game as they turn the keys of the offense over to J.J. McCarthy. 

If fantasy managers had any concerns over his ability to deliver consistently in a high-usage role, Jones’ 2024 campaign emphatically erased any doubt. Now all he has to do is lock himself into what is already a great situation. 

Sam Wallace: After spending the first seven years of his career in Green Bay, Jones signed with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year, $7 million deal. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly for the now-30-year-old veteran, Jones posted career-best numbers in both rushing attempts (255) and rushing yards (1,138).

After an injury-plagued final season in Green Bay that saw him finish the year on a hot streak, Jones managed to play in all 17 games and registered his highest receiving total since 2019.

The move appeared to pay off for all parties involved: the Vikings, Packers, Jones, and even Josh Jacobs.

Now entering free agency again, we'll see if there's interest in a return. I believe that Minnesota is still squarely in their win-now window. I think their best move, and the move that would most benefit Jones, would be to run it back with Sam Darnold, Jones, and the rest of their playmakers.

Even if they go the cheap route and roll with J.J. McCarthy, a veteran presence like Jones would be exactly what a first-year starter needs as he acclimates under center.

Worst Landing Spots For Aaron Jones in 2025 NFL Free Agency

Jonathan Fuller: The Raiders are the easy and correct answer, but Sam and Mark will cover that below, so I'm going to go a different direction and say the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren are free agents this offseason, and both are unlikely to return even if one resigns. In that case, the Steelers will be looking for a second option to complement whomever they retain, which could be a veteran like Jones.

On paper, Pittsburgh doesn't seem like a bad landing spot. The Steelers had the fourth-most rushing attempts in the NFL in 2024, and the offensive coaching staff is likely to remain the same. The big question in Pittsburgh is who the starting QB will be after a dismal end to the season for Russell Wilson. This uncertainty at the most important position in football, paired with PFF's 27th-ranked offensive line, makes Pittsburgh a sneaky undesirable landing spot for free agent RBs at this point. 

It doesn't seem smart to bet against Mike Tomlin, and I'm willing to take this back if Pittsburgh is able to make a significant upgrade at the QB position. But for now I would be disappointed to see Jones land with the Steelers relative to other destinations that are in play.

Mark Drumheller: I’m going back to the Las Vegas Raiders here only because I think Jones’ circumstances warrant a higher ceiling, in terms of landing spot, than some of the other free agent running backs. After posting a career year in Minnesota, leaving a turnkey offense to make a few more dollars in the desert will crush is ADP. (I know, that’s very easy to say when it’s not my money.)

The way I see it, Jones is the premiere player at his position on the market. Yes, that allows him to command top-dollar, but it should also allow him more negotiating power to remain in a solid situation. For 2025, that’s not Las Vegas. 

Sam Wallace: Weekly "shot across the bow" at the Raiders and Giants? You better believe it.

Seriously, think about it this way: No legitimate contender is going to pay meaningful money to a 30-year-old RB, even if he is coming off what is essentially a career-year in many facets.

Yes, teams like the Raiders amd Giants have a desperate need for a stable, productive, proven option at RB. They also have the funds to make it happen, but it would simply not make sense from a roster-building perspective.

At best, both of these teams will be fighting for third place in their respective divisions for the next few years.

Honestly, anything outside of the efficient offensive scheme of Minnesota would knock Jones' fantasy value down more than a few pegs.

Where Will Aaron Jones Play in 2025?

Jonathan Fuller: The Vikings have the seventh-most cap space in the NFL heading into next season, so bringing Jones back to play alongside J.J. McCarthy in what will essentially be his rookie season makes a lot of sense. Jones delivered on his one-year contract with more than 1,500 scrimmage yards and a mostly healthy season. There is no reason they shouldn't want him back — it's just a matter of whether another team wants him more.

I could see Minnesota drafting a running back this year, but that wouldn't preclude them from bringing back Jones on another one-year deal to help bridge the transition to a rookie. I'm pretty confident that they will make him an offer — the only real question is whether or not it will be competitive enough with other teams to keep him in Minnesota. At this point, Minnesota does seem like the most likely option. 

Mark Drumheller: It takes two to tango. While the Sam Darnold saga has soaked up the majority of Minnesota's offseason chatter, the Vikings’ long list of pending free agents on defense has flown under the radar. 

The Vikes don’t strike me as an organization that would match the type of commitment Jones is likely going to get from another suitor. 

The rumblings of Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos eyeing Jones has started to get louder, and I think it’s a good potential match. Jones would get the financial commitment he has earned, while Denver gets a veteran back that can add consistency to its running game. It might not be as appealing as Minnesota, but Denver is a playoff team with a young quarterback that appears to be headed in the right direction. 

Sam Wallace: While we've had similar arguments for other RBs chasing the money and potentially signing bigger contracts beyond their current team, I can't imagine the market will be aggressively pursuing someone like Jones. He's on the wrong side of 30, and I think the Vikings remain the best place for him to finish his career.

For all the latest NFL free agency news and fantasy analysis, subscribe to the Fantasy Life Newsletter to have it delivered directly to your inbox, for free, every day!”