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Minnesota Vikings Have Big Plans for New Running Back
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- Minnesota Vikings Have Big Plans for New Running Back
Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
For the first two years of Kevin O'Connell's tenure as head coach, the Minnesota Vikings running game was neglected like the backyard of that one neighbor nobody has seen outside the house since they moved in.
That's why, in 2024, the pass-happy play-caller made an intentional effort to hand the ball off far more often. It started with the signing of former NFL North rival, Aaron Jones , who responded with a career high 255 carries and 1,138 rushing yards to go with 5 touchdowns.
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Between 2023 and 2024 , the Vikings offense jumped 14 spots in team rush attempts, from 28th (393) all the way to 14th (457). They also jumped 10 spots in team rushing yards, from 29th (1,553) in 2023 to 19th (1,855) in 2024.
But that isn't good enough. This offseason, the MN Vikings have doubled down on their dedication to the run game, not only with their rhetoric , but in their actions as well. It started in early March, with a contract extension for Aaron Jones worth a similar cap hit ( $7 million ) to what he came with in year one wearing purple.
Minnesota Vikings doubling down on commitment to run game
Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
About a week later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surprised the league when he swung a trade with the San Francisco 49ers , sending a 2026 6th round pick out West (along with a 6th round pick swap in 2025) in return for Niners RB2, Jordan Mason , who the Vikings really like as their short yardage back.
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Related: O'Connell Hints at Major Changes to Minnesota Vikings Offense in 2025
But that's not the only role they like their new running back for. On paper, Aaron Jones is this team's RB1. His new contract says as much. But when games start being played in September, O'Connell's running back blueprint for 2025 calls for the split between Jones and Mason to be much closer to 1A/1B situation.
The Vikings have Jones penciled in as their starting running back. They paid Jones more to return ($20 million over two seasons) than they did to acquire Mason from the 49ers and pay their new backup. By all accounts, however, Mason isn't going to be a typical backup — "When [Aaron Jones] has historically had that 1A/1B backfield structure, he can be a total game-changer every time he touches the ball," O'Connell said.
Mason will spell Jones for some series, but O'Connell left little doubt about some additional roles he foresees, including some areas where the Vikings have been particularly weak over time — "I do think Jordan's going to bring something to the table in those short-yardage situations…where we've really left a lot to be desired as a football team."
Is Jordan Mason really this good?
The Vikings believe Jordan Mason — who's entering his fourth season out of Georgia Tech — is ready for a more expanded role than what he had in San Francisco , as Christian McCaffrey 's backup. Last year, Mason took advantage of the opportunity presented to him by McCaffrey's injury, rushing for a total of 789 yards and 3 touchdowns (5.2 YPC) in 12 games (6 starts).
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If the Vikings are right about the soon-to-be 26-year-old Mason, his addition should allow Aaron Jones more rest and recovery in 2025. That, in theory, should lead to even better results out of the 30-year-old Jones than his first very successful season in purple.
it's been awhile since the Vikings had a big, dynamic running back like Jordan Mason pic.twitter.com/sPByNoGYgO
— Krauser (@Krauserrific) March 16, 2025
With all of that focus on the backfield, prior to the opening bell ringing on free agency, the Minnesota Vikings once again proved their dedication to improving the run game by signing former Colts center , Ryan Kelly on day two of the NFL negotiating period.
MN Vikings beefing up offensive line too
The 32-year-old 4X Pro Bowl mauler then turned around and convinced one of the best free agent guards on the market, 27-year-old Will Fries , to do the same thing. He agreed to terms on a 5-year deal the next day. And just like that, the Vikings offense looks ready to run the football in a way we have not seen since KOC took over.
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This change in philosophy aligns perfectly with the introduction of JJ McCarthy as starting quarterback. Not only is JJ a redshirt rookie, but the big hit on him coming out of Michigan was that he starred in a run-first offense that relied much more on his 3rd down acumen than his ability to throw in bulk.
Thus, it makes even more sense for the Minnesota Vikings to turn more to the run game, in order to make McCarthy feel more comfortable in his first games under center. Of course, all of this sounds great in theory. But we have a lot of months between now and when 2025 regular season games are played.
