Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers will dodge another major member of the Minnesota Vikings offense in their Week 4 game from Dublin, Ireland, as running back Aaron Jones was placed on the injured reserve list on Tuesday.
Jones, who is dealign with a hamstring injury, must miss at least four games on IR, which rules him out for participating when the Steelers host the Vikings at Croke Park in Dublin on Sept. 28.
Jones joins quarterback J.J. McCarthy as prime Minnesota playmakers that will spend the Ireland trip on IR. Veteran Carson Wentz is expected to start at quarterback this week in place of McCarthy.
Jones was injured during the Vikings’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. He will be out through at least Week 8, missing games against the Cincinnati Bengals this Sunday, Steelers in Week 4, Cleveland Browns in London in Week 5 and Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7 after the Minnesota bye.
Through two games, Jones had rushed 13 times for 46 yards to lead the struggling Minnesota rushing attack. He had also contributed three receptions on four targets for 44 more yards and one touchdown.
Jones signed with the Vikings before the 2024 season, when he set career highs with 255 attempts and 1,138 yards as Minnesota finished with a 14-3 record. He re-signed a two-year deal before the 2025 season.
Before his time in Minnesota, Jones spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers, rushing for 5,940 yards and scoring 45 touchdowns, including an NFL-leading 16 in 2019 and a Pro Bowl season in 2020. Jones first joined the Packers as a fifth-round pick out of UTEP in 2017.
Backup Ty Chandler is also on the injured reserve list, leaving Jordan Mason as the unquestioned No. 1 back in Jones’ absence. Mason, 26, joined the Vikings in a trade this offseason after spending his first three pro seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Former undrafted free agent Zavier Scott is the only other running back on the Minnesota 53-man roster, while veteran Cam Akers was re-signed to the practice squad on Tuesday. Akers had stints with the Vikings in 2023 and 2024.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Dodge Another Key Vikings Playmaker
