Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is aiming to win his first Super Bowl this season. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
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Aaron Jones is making it clear that he has just one objective this season — win a Super Bowl.
The 30-year-old veteran running back is in the midst of his ninth season. While he’s made a number of deep playoff runs during his playing career, he has yet to accomplish the ultimate goal which is winning a Super Bowl.
Jones — who will turn 31 years old in December — says he doesn’t have any individual objectives. It’s merely to win a Super Bowl.
“That first Super Bowl, that’s what, that’s what it’s about,” says Jones in a one-on-one interview “It’d be the first one for Minnesota, first one for me. I feel like when you put in on all that work in the offseason, OTAs, training camp, even throughout the course of the season, those extra ice tubs, those extra saunas, those extra stretchy the extra lifts that you get in, it’s all to try to make it to that one game and win it all. Each week, you can’t skip those 17 weeks. Don’t get me wrong, you got to take it one week by week. But that’s ultimately what we’re planning for is that ring, to call yourself a champion and let everybody know, ‘Hey, we’re the best in the world this year.'”
The former Pro Bowl running back set a career high in rushing yards last season during his first season with the Minnesota Vikings, rushing for 1,138 yards. He also posted 51 catches for 408 yards, the second-highest receiving yards total of his career.
Jones has dealt with the injury bug this season, missing time due to a hamstring injury before recently suffering a shoulder injury in a 27-24 win over the Detroit Lions.
He’s been limited to four games this season, but he’s still rushing for a ridiculously efficient clip at 5.1 yards per carry. When asked on the topic of individual statistical objectives, Jones once again circles it back to the topic of winning a Super Bowl.
“I want to win a Super Bowl,” says Jones. “Whatever happens in that process, whatever numbers I put up. I’ve never been a guy who’s like, ‘I want to score this amount of touchdowns, I want to have this amount of yards.’ Whenever my number is called, I’m going to make the most of it. I just want to win and win a Super Bowl. The champions are remembered; stats are remembered too as well. But the champions are remembered, and if you win a championship, that looks a lot better on a resume for your Hall of Fame.”
The Vikings are currently 4-4, which means they’re technically at the bottom of the NFC North. However, it’s worth noting starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy made just his third start of the season in the win over the Lions. It was actually his first start since Week 2.
Minnesota had a dramatic win when they overcame an 11-point deficit against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter in Week 1.
While it’s a small sample size, it’s clear the Vikings are a different team when McCarthy is in the lineup. It’s also worth noting that Minnesota tied for the NFL’s best record last season at 14-3, which means they could very well be among the top contenders in the NFC when healthy.
“Just the confidence, the belief he’s super smart, and then he has that will,” says Jones of McCarthy. “It’s kind of hard to put your finger on it, but that will that I won’t be denied. It’s kind of hard to put your finger on it, but he flips the switch, and when it’s game time, it’s game time — you can see it in his eyes. He knows how to rally guys behind him, and he knows how to lead as well.”
Aaron Jones Details What #ONEVERYTHINGCHALLENGE Is All About
While Jones will be looking to help the Vikings continue to right the ship as they prepare for a big-time matchup against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10, he’ll be partnering with HORMEL and Frank’s RedHot for the #OnEverythingChallenge.
“I’ve had the honor of being able to partner with Hormel Black Label bacon, Frank’s Red Hot to bring us a spicy bacon to the world that we all needed, that we didn’t know we needed,” says Jones of the partnership. “It’s a bold flavor, spicy. It’s a one of one. What we’re doing is we’re having an #ONEVERYTHINGCHALLENGE on November 11. The challenge consists of fans submitting recipes with hot sauce and bacon, inspired for me to try on November 11 on my Instagram on live stream. We need the fans’ help submitting your biggest, boldest, spiciest recipes for me to try on live stream in front of you guys.”
The partnership sees HORMEL mix their BLACK LABEL bacon with Frank’s RedHot sauce to create a spicy collaboration. It will also see Jones — a huge lover of food collaborations — take submissions on other spicy collaborations from fans on a livestream over Instagram where he’ll pick a winner.
“I’ve seen bacon used in many number of ways, so I’m excited to see how creative the fans get or what they want me to try, or how wild it could get, what combinations they may put together,” says Jones. “We kind of ran a little teaser on my social media before, and some of the comments that we got with the recipes, some of them look good, and some of them like, ‘Oh, I don’t know.’ I’m very excited to see what we come up with.”