The Minnesota Vikings have an extra week to help Aaron Jones recover, but they now need to seriously consider trading for another running back before the NFL trade deadline.
Jones sustained a hip injury during last weekend’s game against the New York Jets in London, leaving after just 7 carries for 29 yards and unable to return. Backup Ty Chandler, who has performed well since gaining more playing time last season, was not effective in his absence. As a result, there’s increasing speculation that Minnesota will seek to acquire another running back before November 5, the final day for trades.
While the options are limited, there are still some viable candidates. One player that could be a solid fit for the Vikings is Miles Sanders from the Carolina Panthers.
Miles Sanders, 27, is in his second season of a four-year, $25.4 million contract. However, he has lost his starting position in Carolina to Chuba Hubbard.
Given their 1-4 start and Sanders’ limited role—he’s had just 27 carries for 97 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 10 catches for 59 yards—the Panthers may be looking to move on from his contract.
Despite his lack of production this season, it doesn’t mean he couldn’t contribute to Minnesota. In his final year with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022, Sanders rushed for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning a Pro Bowl selection.
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
Aaron Jones has been outstanding for the Vikings this season, as highlighted by Benjamin Solak of ESPN.
“The Green Bay Packers wanted to part ways with the aging Jones a year early, and they certainly were premature,” Solak noted on October 1. “Jones appears as lively as ever in Minnesota, where the Vikings are effectively managing his workload while also utilizing Ty Chandler, who is also performing well. Jones remains one of the top pass-catching backs in the league due to his vision and elusiveness.”
However, at nearly 30 years old and on a one-year, $7 million deal with Minnesota, there’s a possibility that he could become too expensive for the Vikings if he continues to excel—especially if the team decides to allocate funds to quarterback Sam Darnold, who is also on a one-year contract and could be retained beyond 2025.
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.
