During the second quarter of the Minnesota Vikings’ game against the New York Jets in London, Aaron Jones was reported to be questionable with a hip injury. He was seen hobbling on the sideline, and Ty Chandler remained in the game for the Vikings.
Let’s examine the latest update for Jones and the potential fantasy football impact of his injury.
What Happened to Aaron Jones?
It’s tough to pinpoint the exact moment Jones was hurt. He did not remain down on the field at any point, and the first we became aware of was when sideline reporter Stacey Dales reported he was questionable to return. Coming out of the half, the Vikings ruled Jones out for the remainder of the Week 5 matchup.
Vikings RB Aaron Jones was seen limping on the sideline, and he is visibly frustrated.
He’s questionable to return with a hip injury. pic.twitter.com/j926oNgd4U
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 6, 2024
Before the report from NFL Network, the injury had largely flown under the radar with most of the Vikings’ beat reporters, who hadn’t seen anything amiss other than Chandler being in the game.
Jones had quite a heavy landing on his 24-yard reception from Nick Mullens in the first quarter. However, he remained in the game for two carries later in the quarter, gaining seven and then two yards, respectively.
Jones needed help getting to his feet after the two-yard carry, which came with 1:04 remaining in the first quarter. He remained in the play for a rush by Sam Darnold that gained a first down but looked uncomfortable. He then hobbled slightly as he headed to the sideline, with Chandler replacing him from that point.
MORE:Â Sam Darnold Injury Update: Latest on Vikings QB After Exiting Game
At the time of the injury, Jones has carried the ball seven times for 29 yards, adding one reception for 24 yards on one target. He has since been replaced by Chandler, with Myles Gaskin the only other RB active in London.
Vikings fans and fantasy managers may be in for a nervous wait regarding Jones’ health. He will likely be evaluated once the Vikings return from London on Monday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Jones will have an MRI on his hip.
Former Chargers’ team physician, Dr. Chao, tweeted that Jones is likely done for the day, with what he called a hip/proximal hamstring issue. The Vikings’ have a bye next week as they return from London, so Jones will have two weeks to get healthy before Minnesota hosts Detroit in Week 7.
Live: Coach O'Connell Press Conference https://t.co/co53EPLY0k
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 6, 2024
After the game, Kevin O’Connell told reporters it was a right hip injury that the team will be getting evaluated. He did not offer much more but to say that he was “keeping his fingers crossed that that will hopefully be short term.”
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold said about Jones being hurt, “Yeah, I think for us, obviously Aaron is a great player, but we’ve just got to continue to have a next-man-up mentality. Kind of similar to what we did in the San Francisco with Justin [Jefferson] and Jordan [Addison] being out and having guys being able to step up the way that they did. And Aaron going out in that game, as well, just having guys continue to step up the way they did, we’re just always going to have that mindset of next-man-up.”
Potential Fantasy Fallout From Jones’ Injury
It was looking like a heavy Jones game early on. Chandler came in briefly and dropped a pitch, resulting in a fumble. With Jones out due to his hip injury, Chandler will play as many snaps as he can handle.
We’ve seen Chandler operate as the lead back in the past. He ran it 23 times for 132 yards starting in place of Alexander Mattison in Week 15 of last season.
The Vikings have their bye next week, affording Jones extra time to recover. If he does miss time, Chandler would essentially be a 1-for-1 replacement (albeit not quite as talented) for Jones and a startable RB2 in fantasy.
Gaskin is behind Chandler but is well off the fantasy radar. He will likely only see the field when Jones needs a breather. Unless the news on Jones is bad, Gaskin doesn’t need to be added to fantasy leagues.