Jones, who was listed as questionable entering Thursday night, has missed the past four games with the injury suffered in Minnesota’s Week 2 loss to Atlanta, leaving the Vikings with Jordan Mason and rookie Zavier Scott as their top two options at quarterback. Mason thrived in his first start in place of Jones, rushing 16 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns in a blowout win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Since then, the Vikings have generally had an average-or-worse backfield, rushing for an average of 85.3 yards per game as a team.
Jones’ return should give Minnesota a notable boost. He rushed for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns in 2024 — good for his fourth career 1,000-yard season — and figures to be an important part of its offense in both running and passing, especially considering the Vikings are still playing with backup quarterback Carson Wentz.
It is not certain whether Jones will have a control number in his first game back from injury. Regardless, his presence should open up more opportunities for a Vikings offense that enters Week 8 ranked 20th in yards per game.