Aaron Jones was a fifth-round pick out of a school almost nobody scouts, from a family in which both parents served in the Army. He has since run for more than 7,600 yards in the NFL. In an era when running backs are treated as replaceable, he has now been a starting-calibre back for the best part of a decade.
Quick Bio / At a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Aaron LaRae Jones Sr. |
| Date of Birth | December 2, 1994 |
| Birthplace | Savannah, Georgia, United States |
| High School | Burges High School, El Paso, Texas |
| College | UTEP |
| Drafted | 2017, fifth round, 182nd overall, Green Bay Packers |
| Teams | Green Bay Packers (seven seasons); Minnesota Vikings |
| Pro Bowl | 2020 |
| Career Rushing | Over 7,600 yards and 52 rushing touchdowns |
| Career Receiving | Over 350 receptions and 21 receiving touchdowns |
An Army Family in El Paso
Jones was born in Savannah, Georgia, on December 2, 1994, and grew up in El Paso, Texas, attending Burges High School. Both of his parents served in the United States Army, and the family’s connection to Fort Bliss shaped his childhood.
His father, Alvin Jones Sr., died in April 2021 of complications from COVID-19. Jones has spoken about him constantly since, and his work with the USO and military communities is a direct extension of that.
He played college football at UTEP alongside his twin brother Alvin — a programme that produces very few NFL players.
Green Bay
A Fifth-Round Find
The Packers took Jones in the fifth round of the 2017 draft, 182nd overall. He outplayed the depth chart almost immediately, and by his second and third seasons he was one of the most efficient runners in the league.
The Peak Years
In 2020 he was selected to the Pro Bowl after producing more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage, and the Packers reached the NFC Championship Game.
What set him apart in that period was versatility. Jones has always been a genuine receiving threat rather than a runner who occasionally catches, which is why his career receiving totals sit above 350 receptions and 21 touchdowns.
He spent seven seasons in Green Bay.
Minnesota
Jones moved to the Vikings and became their lead back, taking on a heavy workload in his first season there.
The 2025 season was more difficult: he appeared in 12 games, rushing for 548 yards and totalling 747 yards from scrimmage. He subsequently agreed a restructured contract to remain in Minnesota for 2026, with his base salary reduced from $9 million to $5.5 million.
That restructure is the standard mid-thirties running back conversation arriving early, and Jones took the deal to stay.
The Career in Context
Over 7,600 rushing yards and 52 rushing touchdowns, plus more than 2,600 receiving yards, is a genuinely strong career for any back, and an exceptional one for a fifth-round pick from Conference USA.
The position has been systematically devalued across his career — contracts, draft capital and workloads have all moved against running backs — and he has remained employed as a starter throughout it.
Off the Field
Jones works extensively with the USO, an association that runs directly back to his parents’ service, and remains closely identified with El Paso and UTEP, where he is comfortably the programme’s most successful NFL product.
More NFL profiles: Beth Shuey and Virginia Halas McCaskey.
