After a string of fumble issues, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones doesn’t need any more hard coaching — his mother Vurgess has that handled and then some.
Just days after his 30th birthday, Jones shared his mother’s reaction to him putting the ball on the ground twice against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13, leading to a brief benching in the first half.
“She said, ‘They needed to sit you down,’ “Jones told reporters on December 4. “She was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but they need to take him out the game. They need to bench him right now.’ So anytime I hear it from my mom, it’s gonna be worse.”
It’s certainly gotten worse for Jones.
After fumbling at the goal line against the Chicago Bears in Week 12, offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said that Vurgess was harder on Jones than he was.
“I got to learn from it,” Jones said he told his mother.
Her response: “You didn’t learn last week?”
“I was like ‘Damn, Mom. I kind of didn’t know what to say.
“But it’s what I need; my mom being hard on me. That was my dad for so many years,” Jones said of his father, Alvin, who died from COVID-19 complications in 2021. “My dad’s not here, so now my mom’s kind of took the role over without me asking her. But it’s kind of a little eye-opening when.. your dad gets on you. Your mom’s the one rubbing your back, [saying], ‘It’s okay.’ And now, it’s mom getting on you.”
Once his biggest fan and now toughest critic, Vurgess plays a new role that Jones is grateful for.
“She definitely had it in her. She’s seen it for years, years and years. But, no, I’m really thankful. It’s those conversations with my mom that – it gives me clarity. It gives me a different perspective, different view as well. So, thankful to have her.”
Aaron Jones said his Mom is his toughest critic and she’s been harder on him than anyone about the fumbling woes.
“She was like, ‘you didn’t learn last week?'”
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Vikings’ Jones Hopes to Get Back to His Old Ways After Fumble Issues
Getty Aaron Jones, #33 of the Minnesota Vikings, warms up before playing the Detroit Lions.
Motherly love and ribbing aside, Jones’ issues holding onto the ball have become a concern.
The Pro Bowl running back rarely struggled with fumbles with the Green Bay Packers. He tallied 17 fumbles in 104 career games in Green Bay, roughly one for every six games played.
However, Jones has put the ball on in three consecutive games with five total fumbles.
He has approached Week 14 as a professional and said that he would work with running backs coach Curtis Modkins to correct the issue.
Jones Carrying Kids at Home to Help Correct Fumble Issues
Beyond the added emphasis on ball security at practice, Jones has put in double duty at home, carrying his kids around the house like a football.
“Football like that heavy, if I can hold them and not drop them I should be good,” Jones said through a spell of laughter. “Holding them in both hands like this, and getting some practice until my arms get tired.”
Jones has a heavy workload ahead for a Vikings team that is nearly a lock to make the postseason. He’s already on pace to reach a career-high with 261 carries this season and could break 300 carries if Minnesota makes a deep playoff run.
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