Jets More Open To Moving Jermaine Johnson Than Will McDonald; Teams Monitoring Quincy Williams
At 0-7, the Jets are an obvious seller ahead of the November 4 trade deadline. A host of Joe Douglas-era acquisitions have come up as potential pieces to be moved, but the team is sitting tight for the time being.
Breece Hall, Jermaine Johnson, Michael Carter II, Allen Lazard and even the injured Alijah Vera-Tucker have come up as trade chips. We can add Will McDonald and Quincy Williams, according to veteran insider Jordan Schultz, who notes the third-year defensive end and seventh-year linebacker are among those buyers are keeping an eye on presently.
Determining which players are in good standing with Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey will be part of this Jets process ahead of the deadline, and McDonald may well be one of the untouchables for the team. The Jets have the 2023 first-rounder signed through 2026, and they can exercise his fifth-year option to move the rookie contract through 2027. That would lead the Jets to set a high price, which the team has been doing with other assets as well.
The Jets look to be more willing to part with Johnson than McDonald, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. New York picking up Johnson’s fifth-year option moved his contract year to 2026, but unlike fellow 2022 first-round picks Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner, the team did not extend the fourth-year defensive end. That leaves Johnson on uncertain terrain alongside Carter, whom Fowler adds is drawing interest despite not living up to his eight-figure-per-year contract.
Johnson’s 2026 option salary ($13.41MM) is fully guaranteed, providing a complication for teams. Having suffered an Achilles tear in September 2024 also dings Johnson’s stock. While he has recovered, three game absences have taken place as well. That stands to lower Johnson’s price tag — during a season in which he has started with one sack and just two QB hits — and it will be interesting to see if the Jets seriously consider selling low. Keeping Johnson through 2026 and hoping he boosts his value ahead of a future trade may be the smarter play, though Fowler adds he has drawn some trade interest.
Viewed as a Broderick Jones consolation prize in the ’23 first round, McDonald did not play much as a rookie. But he broke through in 2024, registering 10.5 sacks and 24 QB hits. This season, McDonald has just two QB drops — both came in Week 1.
The Iowa State alum would still stand to generate extensive interest, as a low-cost 2026 salary is in place ahead of a potential option season. The Jets, who let Bryce Huff walk in free agency last year before trading John Franklin-Myers, do not have much of note behind these two rushers. While moving Douglas-years pieces is likely, scanning elsewhere on their roster may be necessary to find a move.
Williams remains in the strange position of seeing a less accomplished player (Jamien Sherwood) lap him on the contract front. The Jets re-signed the special-teamer-turned-starter to a three-year, $45MM deal, doing so while not extending Williams, who is in the final season of a three-year, $18MM pact. Although Gang Green added incentives to Williams’ deal, he was deemed a higher priority by the Douglas-Robert Saleh regime than this one. Williams is also on IR with a shoulder injury, clouding his trade value.
A former first-team All-Pro, Williams is attached to a $6.5MM base salary. An acquiring team would need to pick up more than $3MM if the Jets dangle Williams closer to the deadline. Carter has come up as a trade piece as well, as the slot cornerback is not viewed as a long-term part of this equation any longer.
Extended on a three-year, $30.75MM pact in September 2024, Carter has battled injuries and shaky play since. The Jets also traded for Jarvis Brownlee this season and have given him some slot work. Carter, who is on just a $1.7MM base salary for 2025, has drawn some interest, per Fowler. Two former Jets defensive leaders — Saleh (49ers) and Jeff Ulbrich — have landed DC jobs elsewhere, making for potential fits.
An additional $4.1MM of Carter’s 2026 money becomes guaranteed on Day 5 of the 2026 league year, giving an acquiring team some flexibility. Considering the Jets have paid Gardner and authorized a $12MM-per-year Brandon Stephens deal, it would stand to reason they would be eager to get off the Carter contract before the deadline.
Bengals Unlikely To Trade Trey Hendrickson
The Bengals deviated from their general stance against in-season trades for players by acquiring Joe Flacco from the Browns. To the chagrin of Mike Tomlin, that trade has already proven beneficial — after the Bengals upended the Steelers in Week 7.
Prior to that game, a host of Trey Hendrickson rumors emerged. Cincinnati is not typically helpful for buyers at the trade deadline, either, though Hendrickson’s contract-year status naturally influenced contenders to closely monitor this situation. With the Bengals now 3-4, do not expect them to part with their best defensive player.
A Hendrickson trade will not happen, according to The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. The Bengals would lose their right to keep Hendrickson via the franchise tag by moving him now, and with the team having narrowed its AFC North deficit (in a season that has brought a stunning 1-5 Ravens start), it makes sense for the typically rigid team to hold tight here.
If a club were to acquire Hendrickson, the Bengals also may not be especially helpful in terms of picking up salary. With Hendrickson on a $16MM base salary in his walk year, game checks come in at nearly $1MM apiece. That is a big haul for a team to add halfway through a season. As it stands, that appears a moot point.
Endless Hendrickson-Cincy rumors related to the All-Pro defensive end’s extension talks did not produce a deal this offseason, with the team circling back on a late-August raise rather than agreeing on a post-2025 contract. This came after a host of trade rumors at multiple junctures. The Bengals set a lofty asking price in March, seeking more than a first-round pick for the 30-year-old edge rusher. Although they were believed to have dropped that price by August, no trade commenced. This led the sides to come back to the negotiating table.
Hendrickson sought guarantees beyond Year 1 of an extension; the Bengals’ offers did not include such terms, leading the sides to compromise with this raise. That bump will make Hendrickson harder to move, but his consecutive 17.5-sack seasons naturally still make him an appealing commodity on the trade market.
The 49ers came up as a suitor and have been expected to check in. The Colts, who employ longtime Hendrickson DC Lou Anarumo now, join the Eagles and Cowboys as other teams with interest. Those teams are almost definitely going to need to pivot to other options. While the Bengals slipping up against the Jets or Bears at home before the deadline could change the equation, they are set to stand pat right now.
Hendrickson’s ninth season has brought a team-high four sacks and eight QB hits. The Bengals still rank 31st defensively, struggling to start Al Golden‘s DC tenure. Seeing as Cincinnati’s defensive struggles last year prevented an MVP-caliber Joe Burrow season and a Ja’Marr Chase triple-crown effort from producing a playoff berth, Golden’s unit will need to improve quickly. Hendrickson, though, will remain as the team’s centerpiece player on that side of the ball.
Giants Designate K Graham Gano For Return
The Giants cut ties with Jude McAtamney after his disastrous two-PAT game Sunday aided a historic collapse in Denver. Some help is coming soon at this position in New York, however.
Graham Gano will return to practice today, per Brian Daboll, who indicated (via the New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard) the team will designate the veteran kicker for return. This starts a 21-day activation clock, which has been quite relevant for the Giants during the Gano era.
[RELATED: Injured Reserve Return Tracker]
Set to be the team’s kicker this week (per Daboll) if healthy, Gano has now missed 20 games since the 2023 season. The Giants placed their longtime kicker on IR in 2023 and ’24, with knee and hamstring injuries leading him off the 53-man roster. A groin malady sustained during pregame warmups in Week 3 sidelined Gano. All of these absences have come since Gano signed a three-year, $16.5MM extension. Despite the trouble staying healthy in 2023 and ’24, the 38-year-old specialist has remained the Giants’ preferred kicker.
McAtamney kicked in all four games during the regular option’s absence, mostly being asked to kick extra points only. That did not go well in the fourth and final game of this stint. The second of McAtamney’s two PAT misses opened the door to the Broncos — who had already completed a historic comeback by erasing an 18-point deficit with less than six minutes remaining — to attempt a game-winning field goal on their final drive. Wil Lutz‘s make keyed a final lead change to stun the Giants in a 33-32 thriller. The team waived McAtamney on Tuesday, cutting ties with the Northern Ireland native after more than a year.
If Gano is not ready to return this week, the Giants have Younghoe Koo on their practice squad. Koo has been on the team’s P-squad since shortly after Gano’s groin injury, with the team deeming McAtamney a better option. McAtamney only attempted two field goals during the Gano injury hiatus, making both (from inside 40 yards). Koo obviously has far more experience, but the Falcons released him early this season after a rough start. The ninth-year veteran could see his number called if Gano is not ready for Week 8.
Commanders To Start Marcus Mariota In Week 8
Jayden Daniels‘ rocky second season will endure another absence. Due to a hamstring strain suffered in Week 7, the standout Commanders quarterback will take a seat for at least a game. Marcus Mariota will draw the start against the Chiefs on Monday night, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.
Daniels missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a knee injury and Washington went 1-1 with Mariota under center. Daniels played well upon his return, but did not finish the Commanders’ Week 7 loss.
In his first start, Mariota led the offense to 41 points against a below-average Raiders defense. His performance dipped in his next game, but the Commanders still put up 27 points against the Falcons, who have allowed the second-fewest yards and eighth-fewest points this season. The Chiefs, Mariota’s next opponent, rank among the top five teams in both categories in another impressive season from Steve Spagnuolo‘s unit. A hot Kansas City offense could also put up a lot of points against a Commanders defense that has allowed at least 24 points in five of their seven games.
An MRI on Monday revealed that Daniels did not suffer a long-term injury, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, but it still seems like a multi-game absence is on the table. The Commanders play the Lions and the Seahawks in Weeks 7 and 8 before traveling to Madrid to play the Dolphins. That trip could factor into Washington’s approach to Daniels’ return. If he misses their next two games, the team may not want him to return amid the hassles and hiccups of an overseas game. With a bye the next week, though, Daniels’ would not be able to play until Week 11, giving him enough time to heal but missing two games against NFC contenders and an unpredictable matchup in Spain. Those could all be tough matchups for Mariota.
Injury concerns were one of the pre-draft knocks on Daniels due to his lean build and somewhat reckless running style. He played through multiple injuries as a rookie and started all 17 games, but he will now miss his third game with his second injury of the year. That could do serious damage to the Commanders’ playoff chances, especially with what could be a tough post-bye schedule.
Dolphins Place TE Darren Waller On IR
Darren Waller‘s unretirement produced an injury-driven delay, but once the former Pro Bowl tight end debuted, he made a difference for the Dolphins. That has proven short-lived.
Miami is placing Waller on IR, per NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero. The veteran pass catcher suffered a pectoral strain in Week 7, and he will miss at least four games. This certainly clouds Waller’s comeback year, as injuries have dogged him for a while now. Miami is signing Greg Dulcich off its practice squad to take Waller’s roster spot. Chris Myarick will take Dulcich’s P-squad spot, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson tweets.
It took Waller until Week 4 to debut as a Dolphin; a hip strain kept him off the field for most of September. Upon finally returning to action, the former Raiders standout caught two touchdown passes in a Dolphins win over the Jets. Waller added a 78-yard performance the following week. In his first three games with Miami, Waller scored four touchdowns. That matched his combined total from the 2022 and ’23 seasons, but another setback will force a hiatus.
The Raiders found a gem in Waller during Jon Gruden‘s tenure, and the converted wide receiver did not miss a game during the 2019 or ’20 seasons. This brought back-to-back 1,100-yard years, and that production eventually keyed a raise just before the 2022 season. In 2021, however, Waller missed six contests. In 2022, the Josh McDaniels-Dave Ziegler regime was believed to have been frustrated by Waller’s slow recovery from a hamstring injury. Waller missed eight games that season, and the Raiders traded him to the Giants soon after. During his New York one-off, Waller missed five contests due to another hamstring issue.
Waller retired midway through the 2024 offseason, but shortly after the Dolphins traded Jonnu Smith to the Steelers, he reemerged from retirement to help out. Only seeking an NFL return in Miami, Waller signed a one-year, $2MM Dolphins deal with no guarantees. Being on Miami’s Week 1 roster led to that sum becoming guaranteed. But the Dolphins will not see their low-end trade flier provide much, as the 10th-year veteran will end up missing at least seven games with the team — and that is only if he returns from IR after the four-game minimum.
The Dolphins are down Waller and Tyreek Hill, leaving a host of unproven players around Jaylen Waddle for the 1-6 team. No other Dolphins wideout or tight end has more than 100 receiving yards. The team has not acted on Mike McDaniel yet, but it would seem the embattled leader is coaching for his job at this point. Outside of Smith’s 2024 showing, McDaniel has not seen much from his tight ends during his Miami stay. Another uphill battle appears in store at the position.
Woody Johnson Criticizes Justin Fields’ Play; Jets Close To Naming Tyrod Taylor Starter
The Jets had taken the rookie route during most of their time between Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers, deviating only during the Ryan Fitzpatrick–Josh McCown years ahead of the Sam Darnold pick. Now, they have turned to back-to-back veterans, with Justin Fields succeeding Rodgers.
As Rodgers has bounced back in Pittsburgh, Fields is floundering in New York. The Jets pried Fields from a Steelers team interested in re-signing him, handing out a two-year deal worth $40MM ($30MM guaranteed at signing). Outfitting the shaky passer with a top-heavy pass-catching corps, the Jets have received poor play. Woody Johnson is among those concerned about the quarterback.
“It looks like (Aaron Glenn) is turning around part of it,” Johnson said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy). “It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. He has the ability, but something is not jiving. If you look at any head coach with a quarterback like that, you are going to similar results across the league. You have to play consistently at that position and that’s what we’re going to try to do.
“… If we could just complete a pass, it would look good. You have to convince them that you can do something, otherwise it’s hard to have a game that you can win.”
No stranger to throwing his weight around, Johnson endorsing Glenn (while making pointed criticism about his new regime’s QB choice) is notable. The recent firings of Urban Meyer, Nathaniel Hackett and Frank Reich during their first seasons shows teams have been willing to cut the cord early if an operation skids far off track. A GM informed the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora he could see Johnson making another impulsive move and firing Glenn during or after his first season in charge. Johnson, however, called Glenn “the real deal” when speaking to media (via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler) today.
A former standout Jets cornerback who became a hot coaching commodity this offseason, Glenn has steered the team to an 0-7 mark. Although the Lions were on a similar path to open the 2021 season — Glenn’s first year as Detroit’s DC — that team did not have the defensive talent the current Jets squad does. Despite working with Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, Will McDonald and the recently re-signed Jamien Sherwood, Glenn has the Jets’ defense sitting 26th in scoring and 27th in EPA per play. While New York does sit 16th in yardage (an improvement over last season’s 20th-place ranking), the team has disappointed in just about every facet this year.
Glenn will be given more time to turn this around, but he will need to make a quarterback decision after benching Fields in Week 7 and not committing to starting him in Week 8. Fields sits 31st in QBR; among current starters, only Cam Ward is worse. Never viewed as a particularly accurate passer, Fields had been tabbed to pilot an offense featuring little in terms of aerial weaponry outside of Garrett Wilson. The recently extended wideout is now injured, and the team predictably sputtered without its top weapon.
Glenn benched Fields a week after he took nine sacks and threw for just 45 yards in a loss to the Broncos, and the demotion — one the HC dismissed after the London loss — appears close to being a long-term plan. The first-year HC is moving toward Tyrod Taylor as the team’s Week 8 starter, ESPN’s Rich Cimini reports.
Taylor has only been given starts due to injuries over the past four seasons. Although he opened the 2018, ’20 and ’21 campaigns as a starter (in Cleveland, Los Angeles and Houston), he sat behind the likes of Daniel Jones, Tommy DeVito (for a stretch in 2023) and Rodgers since. The 15th-year QB is in the second season of a two-year, $12MM deal — one the Jets handed out after they did not add a veteran to backstop Rodgers in 2023.
This would move Taylor’s start count to 60. The former three-year Bills starter has plenty of experience filling in, but a benching of this sort would be much more relevant for Fields, who had commanded considerable interest as a free agent. The Steelers preferred he and Matthew Stafford to Rodgers, but after they parked Fields near midseason (as Russell Wilson recovered from a calf injury), the 2021 first-rounder became more open to looking elsewhere. He found a taker in the Jets, but the results have proven wildly disappointing.
With Johnson making these comments, the coaching staff’s relationship with its handpicked starter may need some mending. Though, the Jets have more obstacles to overcome than worrying about a struggling QB’s mindset.
Whether this will be a short-term reset or the Jets admitting a mistake early, Johnson saying (via Cimini) the QB call is “completely up to the coach” will apply some heat on Glenn. GM Darren Mougey is also under the microscope considering how his first QB swing is going.
For now, Glenn is in good standing. But at 0-7, the rookie HC will need to show progress soon to avoid one-and-done rumors. It appears the coach is showing more faith in Taylor to help create that progress. By 2026, however, rumors figure to connect the Jets to an aggressive pursuit of another rookie option under center.
Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers Still Seeking Trade
Before the season, Jakobi Meyers requested a trade after his push for an extension did not result in a new deal. While Meyers rescinded the trade ask soon after and began his third Raiders season, teams have still shown interest in the veteran starter.
With the Raiders freefalling — a putrid showing in Kansas City the latest poor effort from Las Vegas — they have become more open to moving Meyers in his contract year. Offering a candid take on the situation Tuesday, Meyers said (via ESPN.com’s Ryan McFadden) he still welcomes a change of scenery.
Meyers said “for sure” when asked if he wants to be traded. He remains tied to a three-year, $33MM deal authorized during Josh McDaniels‘ second and final offseason running the show. Entering the season as Las Vegas’ No. 1 receiver, Meyers wanted an update from a deal that pays him less than the going rate for that role. Meyers is the NFL’s 34th-highest-paid receiver.
The former Patriots UDFA, added during Tom Brady‘s final year with the franchise, has done well on his free agency deal. After Allen Lazard (Jets) and JuJu Smith-Schuster disappointed on their eight-figure-per-year accords from the 2023 class, Meyers posted an 807-yard ’23 showing and managed one of the NFL’s quieter 1,000-yard years in 2024.
As the Raiders sank to 4-13 with Aidan O’Connell as their primary triggerman, Meyers and Brock Bowers excelled. While Brady is now a minority Raiders owner, the team’s lack of a post-2025 commitment — amid a disappointing start to the Pete Carroll–John Spytek regime — this summer would stand to make Meyers a clear trade target before the November 4 deadline.
An acquiring team would be on the hook for a somewhat pricey number on its cap. Meyers is on a $10.5MM base salary; a trade suitor would be responsible for more than $6.1MM. That number would drop closer to $5MM if the Raiders wait until the deadline to move on, but it is also likely interested clubs would ask the team to eat some salary in a swap. This would fetch the Raiders a better draft pick, in theory, but they balked at such a strategy with Hunter Renfrow‘s two-year, $32MM deal in 2023. Granted, that came just before Mark Davis fired McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler. The Jets also took on all of Davante Adams‘ money upon acquiring him last year. It is unclear how the Brady-Spytek pair will proceed.
Meyers also missed the Raiders’ Week 7 loss due to knee and toe issues. He has played in every other Vegas game this season, totaling 29 receptions for 329 yards. Provided these injuries are minor and he would be recovered soon, the soon-to-be 29-year-old pass catcher would improve a few contenders’ receiving situations in a trade. An acquiring team would hold exclusive Meyers negotiating rights until March 2026; he would then be free to speak with other teams as a free agent.
Eagles Informing Teams A.J. Brown Remains Unavailable
A.J. Brown-Eagles drama has quieted a bit, as the mercurial wide receiver came up big in the defending champions’ win in Minnesota, but his role in the offense remains a regular talking point despite the team’s success.
Other clubs have been monitoring this situation, and the Eagles are certainly not shy about wading into the trade market. Brown’s importance to this year’s team is obvious, but the Eagles also could fetch a big haul for one of the NFL’s best receivers. That is almost certain not to happen this year, with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reporting Philadelphia has no plans to move Brown before the November 4 deadline.
Teams have called the Eagles, as they did in the offseason, continuing this as a talking point. Considering Philly’s standing and commitment to 2025 success — based on another active offseason — moving Brown before the deadline would be one of the most surprising deals in recent NFL history.
But the seventh-year player’s issues with his role — which cropped up before the team’s Week 5 game, seemingly keying a pass-heavy gameplan against Denver — are not likely to cease. If the Eagles continue down this path and hold onto their No. 1 target throughout the season, this storyline will undoubtedly produce more trade rumors entering the 2026 offseason.
At 51 targets through seven games, Brown is on pace for more than he drew last season (97). But a 123-target season (or something in that vicinity) would still check in far south of where the number was during the wideout’s more impressive 2022 and ’23 slates. Brown drew 145 looks in 2022 and 158 in ’23. A three-game injury absence and being rested in Week 18 reduced Brown’s 2024 total, making this season’s 123-target pace more in line with where he was on a per-game basis last season. The Eagles, though, have not seen Saquon Barkley closely approach his 2024 work yet. They have needed more from their passing attack than they did in 2024.
In Week 7, Philly saw Brown catch four passes for 121 yards and two scores. This came on a day when DeVonta Smith exploded for a nine-reception, 183-yard game. This remains a top-tier NFL receiving duo, albeit one that saw Barkley’s 2024 resurgence reduce its relevance. Barkley is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry this season, sitting at 369 yards after ripping off 2,005 in 16 games last year. If the Eagles’ run-game struggles — after making Barkley the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year RB — persist, more will be needed from Brown and Smith.
Brown’s three-year, $96MM extension runs through the 2029 season. As this is the Eagles, it is filled with option bonuses and void years. Brown’s 2026 compensation locked in after he remained on Philly’s roster this past March, but this rolling guarantee structure only includes a $4MM 2027 trigger if he is on the Eagles’ roster by Day 3 of the ’26 league year. That could extend this partnership for at least one more season, but the Eagles would certainly receive more value trading Brown ahead of an age-29 season in 2026 than when he turns 30 in ’27.
A WR-needy team likely would not be too intimidated by Brown’s near-$30MM guarantee in 2026, especially if he keeps proving himself as an upper-crust wideout. For now, the Eagles and Brown will need to keep working together. The Eagles’ losses to the Broncos and Giants notwithstanding, this remains one of the NFL’s best rosters. It can certainly improve before the November 4 deadline as well.
Falcons Release WR Ray-Ray McCloud
After being sent home from Falcons practice late last week, Ray-Ray McCloud is done with the team. Atlanta is officially moving on via release, per a team announcement.
This is not especially surprising, considering the Falcons had booted the veteran wide receiver/return man from a workout before its Week 7 game. McCloud became a healthy scratch for the second straight game. This evidently did not go over well, and the parties will split midway through their second season together.
Cutting McCloud, who is a vested veteran set to avoid the waiver wire, will bring less than $500K in dead money for the Falcons. He had been tied to a two-year, $5MM deal; the guarantees paid out in 2024. Only part of McCloud’s signing bonus will be left on Atlanta’s payroll.
Considering McCloud’s 2024 production, this is a surprising cut. But the partnership had trended downward this year. The career return specialist erupted for 686 receiving yards and 765 from scrimmage — both far and away career-high marks — and worked as the team’s primary kick returner. He had been less involved this year, returning four kicks and a punt and adding six receptions for 64 yards.
Raheem Morris said the McCloud situation is not tied to the team’s decision to fire receivers coach Ike Hilliard. McCloud, however, saw his role vastly reduced after that decision. He played 69.7% of the team’s offensive snaps in Week 3; after Hilliard’s firing a day later, the slot target was at 35.4% in Week 4. He has not played since, being scratched for the team’s games against the Bills and 49ers.
No WR3 has emerged in Atlanta this season, with Drake London and Darnell Mooney the top two cogs at the position and Kyle Pitts in place at tight end. The Falcons are seeing Bijan Robinson craft a dominant season in what could be a de facto contract year, as his first offseason of extension-eligibility (after Morris has heaped praise on the former No. 8 overall pick) comes in 2026. Robinson’s 390 receiving yards are second to London on the roster, and the RB’s 914 scrimmage yards trail only Christian McCaffrey (981) in the NFL. Atlanta’s third-leading WR (Casey Washington) has five receptions for 69 yards.
Since the Falcons cut McCloud before the trade deadline, he will pass directly to free agency. The Falcons were the 29-year-old’s fifth NFL team, after he had bounced from Buffalo to Carolina to Pittsburgh to San Francisco between 2018-23. McCloud’s return history at the very least figures to generate interest from teams, even as being dropped after being dismissed from practice is not exactly a good look.
Vikings Designate Aaron Jones For Return
Aaron Jones has been out of the picture for the Vikings since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 2, but the veteran running back has a chance to return to action when first eligible.
The Vikings are designating Jones for return from IR, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports. This will give the ninth-year vet a chance to return for the team’s Thursday-night game against the Chargers. Minnesota has used Jordan Mason as its primary starter, after the trade acquisition had formed a committee with Jones in Weeks 1 and 2.
Activating Jones ahead of Week 8 would represent the Vikings’ fourth IR activation used this season. Teams have eight at their disposal, before two more emerge in the playoffs, and Minnesota has been at work reassembling its roster. The team has not seen J.J. McCarthy play since Week 2, either, but the second-year quarterback did not land on IR and can return at any time.
A role as Mason’s 1-B back would be a step down for Jones, who has worked as a primary starter for most of his career. This included a full-season run in that role in Minnesota last year. The ex-Packers standout posted a career-high 1,138 rushing yards last season, adding 408 through the air and totaling seven touchdowns.
Jones did not miss a game in 2024, but he did miss six in 2023. That led the Packers, even after the running back’s late-season resurgence keyed a run to the divisional round, to ask for another pay cut (Jones had accepted a slash in 2023). Jones declining led him to Minnesota, and the Vikings re-signed him this offseason.
The Vikes gave the dual-threat performer a two-year, $20MM deal — one that came with $11.5MM guaranteed at signing. Another $2MM will lock in on Day 3 of the 2026 league year, giving Jones an incentive to reemerge from this early-season setback and play well down the stretch. The Vikings having him ready for a short week would point to the RB being healthy, but Minnesota could give the 30-year-old option a mini-bye by holding him out from its Los Angeles trip.
Through six games, Mason is at 380 rushing yards (4.5 per carry) and four touchdowns. With Mason not much of a receiving threat, Jones would be a big upgrade in a pass-down role. Still, the Vikings effectively demoting their highest-paid RB and turning to Mason — extended on a two-year, $10.5MM deal following a March trade with the 49ers — would be an interesting move. How the team reintegrates Jones will be a storyline to follow in the coming weeks. If Jones returns in Week 8, he will be working with Carson Wentz for the first time.