Is Aaron Jones playing this week? Vikings RB's status revealed for Week 18 Lions showdown 

The final game of the 2024 NFL regular season will pit the Detroit Lions against the Minnesota Vikings in a winner-take-all duel for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The Lions and Vikings have been the two best teams in the conference, but only one will start their playoff campaign at home in the divisional round, while the other will be on the road during Wildcard Weekend.

The stakes are as high as they could be in a regular season game. Both teams are well-rounded but the Lions' defense has been struggling a bit due to the plethora of injuries to key players. Their run defense has been underwhelming over the past three games, as they have given up a shade over 110 yards on the ground in their last three games.

The Vikings will look to exploit that chink in Detroit's armor and fortunately for Minnesota, they'll have star running back Aaron Jones leading the effort.

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Aaron Jones Injury Update: Will Vikings RB play in Week 18 vs. Lions?

The veteran suffered a quad injury in the Vikings' narrow 27-25 win over his former team, the Green Bay Packers, in Week 17. Jones was limited to 12 carries for 48 yards and there were concerns about whether he'd suit up for the regular-season finale against the Lions.

He was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday and Thursday but the shackles came off on Friday and the training staff declared him good to go. It's a massive relief for the Vikings, who need all hands on deck on Sunday night in Detroit.

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Aaron Jones Stats: How has Vikings RB fared this season?

Aaron Jones joined the Vikings after an underwhelming season with the Packers in 2023. However, he bounced back in his debut season in Minnesota and has been critical to the team's success this season.

Through Week 17, he has 245 carries for 1,093 yards and five touchdowns. He needs only 27 yards against the Lions to set a new career-high for rushing yards in a season. He has also been spectacular in the passing game from the backfield. Jones has 46 catches for 378 yards and two receiving touchdowns. He needs 22 yards to breach the 400-yard mark for only the second time in his career.

The veteran's importance to the Vikings' offense cannot be overstated and the team will be relieved that his quad injury wasn't severe enough to force him to miss their highly-anticipated battle against the Lions.

Who do you think will win and take the No. 1 seed in the NFC when the Minnesota Vikings take on the Detroit Lions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.