Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones has been battling injury throughout the 2026 season. A new report from ESPN’s Kevin Seifert details how much he has been playing through pain. The running back has been playing most of this stretch without Jordan Mason with a sprained MCL in his left knee.
Jones indicated that he has suffered the injury on two other occasions in previous seasons. He had never been able to play through the injury itself until this year.
The veteran has 85 carries for 375 yards and a touchdown without Mason this season.
Seifert detailed exactly how long Jones had been playing with his injuries.
Jones, however, didn’t make it very far before encountering his own adversity, suffering the MCL injury in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears. He missed one series while he was being fit for a brace, and said he surprised himself by feeling well enough to continue in the game. In each of his previous sprained MCLs, Jones said he missed the remainder of the game and then at least another two weeks.
Aaron Jones Has Injury History
Jones has a history of MCL injuries. He suffered an MCL injury in his right knee against the Chicago Bears while with the Green Bay Packers in 2017. He missed multiple games as a result, including two in the middle of the season and at the end of the year. Jones suffered another right knee MCL sprain in 2018 that sidelined him for the final two games of that season, as this injury reared its ugly head again.
Jones has continued to battle the injury throughout the course of his career. This included battles with the injury in 2018, 2021, and 2023. The worst of these injuries came in 2023. He dealt with a week-to-week sprain and was initially feared to have an ACL injury. He was able to return later in the season after missing three games.
Jones Has Remained Workhorse For Vikings
Jones was able to hold down the fort while Jordan Mason was also out with an injury. As Seifert notes, Jones took 90% of the Vikings’ running back carries and played 81% of the team’s overall offensive snaps. His 85 carries and 97 total touches were the second-most in the NFL over that timeframe.
His toughness and his ability to play through injuries are certainly one of the many reasons he is valuable to this offense. On top of just his toughness, his durability and dependability are just some of the many reasons why the Vikings made the right move bringing them into the organization. He has not only been a valuable piece to the offense, but to the organization overall. If anything, it’s clear that he wants to win and compete. That in itself endears him to Vikings fans. Now, the team will continue to need him for the stretch run.
Vikings’ Aaron Jones Reveals Shocking Detail About His Injury