Last season, the Minnesota Vikings running back room was not the greatest. Ty Chandler and Cam Akers truly could not help take the workload off of Aaron Jones having to do it all.
But with this offseason's trade acquisition of Jordan Mason, things have changed in the Vikings' backfield. Mason was the backup to San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, and with McCaffrey getting hurt early in the 2024 season, Mason was the RB1 for several games.
In Week 2 against Minnesota last season, Mason had 20 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown and really displayed what he can do.
Recently, ESPN's Kevin Siefert shared that early indications point to the Vikings splitting backfield reps between Jones and Mason at a rate that is closer to 50-50 than any other running back duo Minnesota has utilized since hiring Kevin O'Connell as the team's head coach in 2022.
Minnesota Vikings needed a true complement to Aaron Jones and found that in Jordan Mason
It has been known for quite some time that the Vikings needed to find a running back who could help Aaron Jones and truly give him a rest.
It feels like they found that complement and have struck gold with Mason. Every time Mason was on the field for the 49ers last season, you knew he was a special player and was going to be someone you could rely on in any situation.
The 100-yard game that he put up against Minnesota's defense in Week 2 showed how Brian Flores struggled to stop him, and it seems like the Vikings' defensive coordinator is glad he does not have to go against Mason again in the upcoming season.
It is going to be super exciting to watch Jones and Mason work together this upcoming season, and hopefully, both can reach the end zone plenty.
When the Vikings acquired Mason in the middle of March, they really did not pay much of a price to bring him to the Twin Cities.
They only gave up a sixth-round pick and swapped picks with San Francisco in the 2025 NFL Draft. This price seems like an absolute bargain for the workhorse that Mason is.
The Vikings were able to pick up a dynamic back in Mason for a sixth-round pick, and the 49ers are going to regret it when they miss him on their roster in the upcoming season.