Fumbles have become a serious issue for Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones, and it’s not just his coaches who have taken notice—even his mother has voiced her concerns. The veteran running back has been struggling to hold onto the football, with five fumbles this season, four of which have occurred over the last three weeks.
Jones’s fumbling woes continued in the Vikings’ recent 23-22 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. In that game, Jones fumbled twice in the first quarter alone, losing one of them. As a result, the Vikings coaching staff made the decision to bench him for most of the remainder of the first half—a decision that apparently had his mother’s full support.
“She said, ‘They needed to sit you down,'” Jones recalled, speaking to The Minnesota Star Tribune. “She was like, ‘I don’t know what’s going on, but they need to take him out of the game. They need to bench him right now.’ Anytime I hear from my mom, it’s going to be worse.” Jones acknowledged that his mother, Vurgess, doesn’t hold back when it comes to her critique of his performance, especially when it involves costly mistakes like fumbles.
Jones attempted to explain his situation to his mother, but she was having none of it. “I was like, ‘Ah, you know, I gotta learn from it,'” Jones added. “She’s like, ‘You didn’t learn last week?'” Her blunt response was a tough reminder that his recent struggles with ball security have become a recurring problem that requires immediate attention.
Jones has been candid about his struggles, admitting that he’s well aware of the impact his fumbles are having on his team. To address the issue, Jones has been taking unconventional steps, including enlisting the help of his children.
The running back explained that he’s been holding his children like footballs around the house as a way to reinforce proper ball security techniques and break his bad habits. It’s a playful yet earnest attempt to solve a problem that has been plaguing his game in recent weeks.
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Despite the tough love, Jones says he appreciates his mother’s criticism and believes it’s exactly what he needs. The role his mother is playing now was once held by his father, Alvin Jones Sr., who passed away in 2021.
Jones reflected on the impact his father had on his life, both on and off the field, and how his mother has stepped into that role since his passing.
“It’s what I need, my mom being hard on me,” Jones said. “That was my dad for so many years. My dad’s not here, so my mom took the role over without me asking her.” The loss of his father was a significant moment in Jones’s life, and having his mother step in to provide that accountability has helped him stay grounded and focused on improvement.
Jones is determined to put his fumbling issues behind him and regain the trust of his coaches and teammates. He knows that in a league as competitive as the NFL, mistakes like fumbles can have a major impact on a team’s success, and he’s committed to making the changes necessary to eliminate them from his game.
With his mother’s tough love pushing him forward and his own efforts to improve, Jones is hopeful that he can turn the page and help the Vikings make a strong push as the season progresses.
For now, Jones will continue to work on holding onto the football and taking the advice of those who know him best. The Vikings are counting on him to be a key part of their offense, and if Jones can overcome his recent struggles, he has the potential to be a difference-maker for Minnesota down the stretch.
His mother’s unwavering honesty might just be the motivation he needs to get back on track and secure the ball—both for himself and for his team.
