The Minnesota Vikings relied on Aaron Jones heavily in 2024. The former Green Bay Packers star was one of the most utilized running backs in the league.
Jones embraced the production, too, having one of the best seasons of his career. That didn’t stop the Vikings from going out to get a new RB for the top end of the depth chart this offseason in the form of Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers.
And as the summer went on, there were more and more people who seemed to believe it could be Mason, not Jones, who leads this backfield in production in 2025.
ESPN’s Seth Walder is apparently one of those people. In a projection he unveiled over the weekend, he wrote that he expects Mason to lead the charge here.
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This is how Walder explained it:
“Running back Jordan Mason will record at least 1,100 rushing yards. He’ll split work with Aaron Jones Sr., but I expect Mason to lead the team in rush attempts. He recorded 207 rush yards over expectation last season in San Francisco, and I could see the pass-happy Vikings running a little more to support their rookie quarterback.”
As Walder suggests, the presence of McCarthy likely means there’s enough work to go around here for both running backs.
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Fantasy football players may be stressed about the concept of a split backfield, but that doesn’t inherently spell doom for those involved. Sometimes, two RBs can produce enough for the same team.
Mason is younger and more likely to be the back of the future in Minnesota, so maybe the Vikings do start to lean on him more as the season goes on.
The Vikings open the season on Monday Night Football on Sept. 8 against the Bears. It’ll be a national stage to display whether Mason or Jones is really the top dog in the Minnesota RB room.
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