EAGAN – From a statistical perspective, you don’t need a microscope to see Aaron Jones’ impact on the Minnesota Vikings.

Jones, previously best known in Minnesota for stealing the Vikings’ souls twice a year, has 228 yards on 5.4 yards per carry in three games. He had 12 receptions for 97 yards and also contributed in pass protection.

And so the Vikings went from being one of the least effective running and passing teams in 2023 to a serious threat out of the backfield this year. Who would have thought that signing a player who ranks in the top 10 all-time in yards per carry would be the answer to his problem? Imagine that.

But Jones’ impact on the organization goes beyond yards per carry. He’s the type of player whose energy permeates an entire building. The way he approaches the game causes coaches and teammates to either get very excited or downright emotional when talking about him. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said this week that Jones is “one of my favorite players I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching.”

Why does he leave such an impression on everyone? It starts with his attitude.

“Incredibly humane,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “You can use the phrase that a man ‘never had a bad day.’ That’s one thing, but you combine the joy he brings to this building every day with his immediate impact as a teammate in the locker room and being the talented guy who loves football as much as he does.”

O’Connell explained that despite his tremendous success in the NFL throughout his career, Jones was “incredibly responsible” and was the first to take responsibility when a mistake occurred.

“Since we’ve had him, I can’t tell you what few things he can improve on, every time it’s like, ‘Coach, I’m going to do better, Coach, that’s on me,'” O’Connell said. “He is an introspective guy who cares about others and is world-class at what he does. It’s a cool business and I share Matt’s (LaFleur) opinion on it.”

Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said that as he watched Jones watch the Vikings’ blowout win over the Houston Texans – a game in which the veteran RB had over 100 yards – Jones focused on what he could have done better.

“I hugged him in the locker room and (he says), ‘I’m sorry about that penalty, coach, I shouldn’t have done that, it won’t happen again,'” Phillips explained. “I mean, that’s what he’s thinking about at this moment and it’s always better to rectify that with a win. But that’s exactly the guy he is. He’s always working to get better and always trying to help the young guys, help the team in a leadership role and pick guys up when they’re not doing much.”

It seems every coach has had the same experience with Jones.

“Coming from the same school, I knew a lot of people who knew him and coached him while he was in college and had heard nothing but great things,” Phillips said. “Then when he was in the NFL, I mean all the coaches I knew in Green Bay, there was really no question when you talked about some of his favorite players of all time. It’s Aaron Jones.”

Jones has been a star for so long that it’s easy to forget he was just an afterthought in the 2017 running back stack that included Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffrey, Dalvin Cook and Joe Mixon. While he ran for more than 1,700 yards at 7.7 yards per attempt in his senior year at UTEP, Jones’ 40-yard rushing time and size were well below average, prompting skepticism.

It may have taken him longer than the other top draft picks to get his chance, but once he got to the NFL, he started winning people over.

In one piece this week for , Jones told a story about former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, who played for him as a young player and even demanded to have him in the game.

Rodgers told him, “Hey. I am one of your biggest fans in this entire organization. It’s your time. Yours, right now.”

Two years into his career, Jones led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns and never looked back.

His path to fame is part of what makes his approach unique.

“Since I’ve been playing football I’ve always had that chip on my shoulder, so I feel like I’ve always been overlooked or underestimated, or yeah, I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder and that’s never going to change,” Jones said.

He has made it clear that he received nothing but great treatment from the Packers’ organization and fans, especially when his father died, but he was surprised when they decided to extend him to the end of 2023 after five consecutive 100-yard games released former Raiders signing Josh Jacobs.

The Vikings were also surprised – and delighted.

“It wasn’t just the excitement around the player and what you already know about him, but also getting him from a division rival just to get one of the players you don’t have to compete against anymore, and he is “Your side feels pretty good,” Phillips said.

Jones explained that he came full circle when he packed up his house in Green Bay to move to Minnesota. He remembered thinking, “Who knew I would be here packing up my things? But I’m ready for this new adventure.”

As he returns to Green Bay, where he scored 63 touchdowns and ran for nearly 6,000 career yards, Jones doesn’t return bitter. That’s not his style. Instead, he explained that’s what he wanted Player’s stand Piece to show appreciation for Green Bay.

“I just wanted to thank them for the time there, for the acceptance that allowed me to become the player that I am,” Jones said. “I feel like I haven’t said goodbye to their fans. I feel like they were kind of in the middle of it when I came in. So I just wanted to let them know, hey, it’s nothing but love and respect.”

That being said, no one wants to find the end zone more than Jones, against the team that didn’t think he was worth keeping – and for the team that was overjoyed to have him in the backfield this season.

And when he scores…

“Definitely take a leap, definitely take a leap there,” Jones said.