The Minnesota Vikings have an extra week to get Aaron Jones healthy, but circumstances now require the franchise to at least consider dealing for another running back ahead of the NFL trade deadline.
Jones suffered a hip injury against the New York Jets in London last weekend, leaving the game after just 7 carries for 29 yards. He was ultimately unable to return.
Backup Ty Chandler, who has been solid since he started getting legitimate work in the rotation during the middle of last season, was uninspiring in relief of Jones. The combination of those two outcomes has led to widespread speculation that Minnesota will look to secure another RB ahead of November 5 — the last day teams can swap players and/or draft assets.
The options are limited, though the proverbial cupboard isn’t bare. One player who could make a good deal of sense for the Vikings is Miles Sanders of the Carolina Panthers.
Miles Sanders’ Production Has Dipped With Panthers as No. 2 Running Back
Sanders, 27 years old, is in the second season of a four-year deal worth $25.4 million. However, he is no longer the starter in Carolina, where Chuba Hubbard has usurped his role as the No. 1 back.
The Panthers may well be interested in getting off of Sanders’ deal after a 1-4 start and his minimal usage rate throughout the first five games of this season — he has run the football just 27 times for 97 yards and 1 TD and caught 10 passes for 59 yards.
However, Sanders’ lack of production thus far in 2024 isn’t necessarily an indicator that he can’t help Minnesota. During his last year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, the running back accumulated 1,269 rushing yards and 11 TDs on his way to a Pro Bowl.
Sanders has a total of nearly 5,400 yards from scrimmage, 25 total TDs and a 4.7 yards per carry average over his six-year career that includes 78 regular-season games and 54 starts.
Miles Sanders Could Serve as Aaron Jones’ Substitute Now, Replacement in 2025 and Beyond
Jones has been great for the Vikings this season, which Benjamin Solak of ESPN outlined in a recent column.
“The [Green Bay Packers] wanted to move on from the aging Jones a year early, and boy were they a year early,” Solak wrote on October 1. “Jones looks as spry as ever in Minnesota, where the Vikings are wisely managing his touches with a healthy dash of Ty Chandler (who also looks good). Jones remains one of the best pass-catching backs in the league for his vision and elusiveness.”
However, Jones is also approaching 30 years old and is on just a one-year deal worth $7 million in Minnesota. If he continues to play well, he might price himself out of the Vikings organization — particularly if the team diverts money to QB Sam Darnold, who is also on a one-year contract, to keep him beyond 2024.
But if Jones misses a good chunk of this year with injury, that could also dissuade Minnesota from bringing him back next season.
Sanders is three younger and under contract for longer, though most of his guaranteed money is already in his pocket. That contract situation would afford the Vikings flexibility to keep Sanders long-term if they wanted, or to move on following this season or ahead of the 2025 trade deadline.
