The Minnesota Vikings made a significant roster decision leading into their “Thursday Night Football” matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers on October 23.
Minnesota cut ties with sixth-round pick Kobe King in order to create a spot for the return of running back Aaron Jones to the active roster.
“The #Vikings are waiving rookie LB Kobe King to make room for Aaron Jones, per the team,” VikingzFanPage posted to X. “The 6th-round pick only played 3 defensive snaps this season, and was primarily used on special teams.”
Minnesota selected King, 25 years old, out of Penn State with the No. 201 overall selection. He finished his final season with the Nittany Lions after tallying 97 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup. He has tallied four tackles as a professional and played a total of 77 special teams snaps across five appearances.
King was one of just five draft picks the Vikings made in 2025.
“King will get an immediate chance to contribute on special teams but also has a chance to provide depth behind starting inside linebackers Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on April 26. “Defensive coordinator Brian Flores no doubt has some ideas on how to maximize his strength near the line of scrimmage.”
Transactions like the one Minnesota made with King and Jones on Thursday are common in the NFL, and it is possible King could rejoin the roster in the days to come.
Aaron Jones Adds Element Previously Missing From Vikings Offense
GettyRunning back Aaron Jones of the Minnesota Vikings.
Meanwhile, Jones returns to an offense that can use an infusion of playmaking, particularly in the pass game out of the offensive backfield.
Sidelined since Week 2 with a hamstring strain, Jones has been a scarce part of the Vikings offense up until now. He has tallied just 13 carries for 46 rushing yards this year, while catching three passes for 44 receiving yards and a score.
Running back Jordan Mason, who may well have usurped Jones’ role as the team’s primary rusher of the football this year anyway, has been solid in relief of him. Mason has accounted for 380 yards on the ground and four TDs, though he has hauled in only nine receptions for just 34 yards.
Jones caught at least 47 passes five times in his eight-year career heading into 2025, and the change-of-pace element he provides (both through the air and on the ground) should help Minnesota diversify a unit that hasn’t been dynamic since backup QB Carson Wentz took over for the injured J.J. McCarthy in Week 3 and led the Vikings to a 48-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Since then, Minnesota is 1-2 and averaging just over 21 points per game.
Vikings Anxious to Return to Quarterback JJ McCarthy
GettyMinnesota Vikings quarterbacks J.J. McCarthy (left) and Carson Wentz (right).
Minnesota is rolling with Wentz as the starter Thursday, while Max Brosmer will be the backup and McCarthy will fill the third-string/emergency slot. However, Albert Breer of SI reported that the team had hoped for a different outcome.
“The hope was that everyone would walk away with McCarthy ready to roll on a short week against the Chargers.” Breer reported. “After going through the paces, McCarthy told the staff that the high ankle sprain that [McCarthy] sustained in Week 2 against the Falcons wasn’t quite all the way back yet. And the staff decided to err on the side of caution and hold McCarthy out one more week, giving him 10 days of runway to prepare for a titanic Week 9 game against the Lions.”
The Vikings were 3.5-point underdogs to the Chargers as of Thursday, per ESPN BET.
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