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Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff Writer
EAGAN, Minn. — Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones‘ plan is already set if he scores a touchdown in his return to Lambeau Field on Sunday.
“Definitely leaping,” Jones said Wednesday with a smile.
Jones spent seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, whose players typically take a Lambeau Leap into the stands after scoring touchdowns. Now with the Vikings after signing a one-year free agent contract in March, Jones is eagerly awaiting his first game on the visitors sideline at Lambeau.
He said he hopes he can find some Vikings fans in the front row, and he said it would make for a “pretty cool shot” of fans in both Vikings and Packers jerseys around him as he celebrates a score.
Jones ranks fifth in the NFL with 325 total yards from scrimmage as the Vikings have started 3-0. When asked earlier this week about the running back’s start to the season, Packers coach Matt LaFleur jokingly responded “Who?” before calling Jones “one of my favorite players that I’ve ever had the privilege to coach.”
“Who?” Jones laughingly said Wednesday when asked about LaFleur’s comment.
Jones insisted he had no hard feelings after the Packers asked him to take a pay cut and ultimately released him this spring.
“I understand it’s a business and I made a lot of great relationships there,” Jones said. “I have a lot of respect for the people there and the relationships that I’ve made there and there’s nothing but love. … At some point you got to make business decisions, and it may be a hard decision, but you’ve got to make a decision and live with it.”
The Vikings have gotten Jones at his best, as he has 228 rushing yards on 42 carries and 97 receiving yards on 12 receptions. He has scored two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving — and has made a big impact with his tenacious pass blocking.
The Vikings have also worked to keep him fresh, getting him a total of 54 touches — 13th in the NFL — while playing him only 104 snaps, including plays negated by penalty. Among running backs, Jones’ snap count ranks No. 27 in the NFL.
“It’s just about being hungry,” Jones said. “I feel like being hungry, coming in ready to learn the playbook, ready to make an impact, knowing where I want to go and where I want to be. … I wanted to hit the ground running as soon as Week 1 came and kind of felt like I was able to do that.
“This offense is perfect for me, and I was able to just kind of come in and hone in on the fine details.”
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