© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After being released by the Green Bay Packers earlier this week, Aaron Jones will get to stay within the NFC North.

The former UTEP Miner was officially welcomed by his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, on Thursday after signing a $7 million, one-year deal with Green Bay's biggest rival.

RELATED: Former UTEP DB Nik Needham Signs Extension With Miami Dolphins

A product of El Paso's Burges High School. Jones is UTEP's all-time leading rusher with 4114 yards as a Miner. 2013-2016, Jones averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored 40 touchdowns. 

Jones was a fifth-round selection in the 2017 NFL Draft by Green Bay. From 2017 through 2023, Jones appeared in 97 games for the Packers. He eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in three different seasons (2019, 2020, 2022). He had 63 touchdowns from scrimmage for his former NFL team.

"I'm on a mission to be the best running back in the NFL, and I'm glad I get to prove that here in Minnesota with a great organization," Jones said in his first presser in purple. 

Jones enters his eighth NFL season in 2024.

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