Minnesota Vikings Could Make Surprising RB Move
The Minnesota Vikings' offense came to life during the second half of their Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears, and while quarterback J.J. McCarthy stole most of the headlines, there was another Vikings player who helped drive the bus: running back Jordan Mason.
Mason carried the ball 15 times for 68 yards, with a good chunk of that damage coming down the stretch. In fact, nine of his carries came in the fourth quarter. And the most interesting thing? Aaron Jones finished the game with 23 rushing yards on eight attempts. Are the Vikings undergoing a change here?
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Obviously, Jones is still an important part of the offense. He caught three passes for 44 yards and a touchdown against the Bears. He is a versatile weapon and will be deployed as such throughout the campaign. But a world does exist in which Mason could ultimately replace Jones as the No. 1 back.
It's not like Mason came out of nowhere, either. Minnesota signed him in free agency after he enjoyed a very successful 2024 campaign with the San Francisco 49ers, where he registered 789 yards and three scores on 5.2 yards per tote. He achieved those numbers in just 12 games, too.
The Vikings signed him with the idea that he would form a lethal backfield tandem with Jones, and that's still likely the case. But perhaps Minnesota may decide to employ Jones as more of a receiving threat while making Mason its primary rusher.
That certainly seemed to be the case versus Chicago, where Mason ran the ball down the Bears' throats in the latter stages of the contest. That made life much easier for McCarthy, who was responsible for each of the Vikings' three fourth-quarter scores.
It's too early to say for sure exactly what Minnesota is thinking as far as its rushing attack is concerned, but early indications are that it may look slightly different than most initially anticipated.
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Also important is the fact that Mason, 26, is four years younger than Jones, who actually turns 31 in December. The Vikings could aim to keep Jones fresh for the second half of the season and the playoffs by giving more touches to Mason over the first couple of months.
Jones was brilliant for Minnesota in 2024, racking up 1,138 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He also hauled in 51 receptions for 408 yards while reaching the end zone twice. But it could make sense for the Vikings to give a fair amount of his carries to Mason. It definitely worked well in the season opener.