When looking at all of the Minnesota Vikings players who are currently under contract for the 2026 season, running back Jordan Mason is not one who seems like an obvious departure in the near future.
Mason has one year remaining on his deal with the Vikings, and if the team releases him, it only frees up $590,000 in salary cap space. However, if Minnesota is able to complete a trade involving the running back, they will clear $2.59 million in cap space.
With this in mind, we've got a prediction about Mason's future, and it results in his 2026 season not being played in a purple and gold uniform.
Minnesota Vikings 2026 Offseason Prediction: Jordan Mason traded to Seattle Seahawks
Trade Details
Vikings Get - 2026 Sixth-Round Pick (212th Overall)
Seahawks Get - Jordan Mason - RB
With the Vikings in 2025, Mason had himself a solid season. In 16 appearances, he rushed for 758 yards (4.8 per carry) and six touchdowns, in addition to catching 14 passes for 51 yards.
Despite Mason's respectable output last year, most of his production came during a span of games where fellow Minnesota running back Aaron Jones was out of action due to injury. Once Jones was able to return and take on a normal workload, Mason's opportunities on the field took a big hit.
Last season, Mason was on the field for 63.5 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps in Weeks 1 through 7, and then in Weeks 8 through 16, his offensive snap rate fell all the way to 29.4 percent.
Between him and Jones, Mason is the cheaper of the two in 2026. However, it doesn't seem like a guarantee that he's the running back Minnesota would like to keep.
Luckily for the Vikings, there are multiple teams around the NFL that are in need of running back help this offseason, including the Seattle Seahawks, who are still celebrating the Super Bowl win they had earlier this month.
Currently, Seahawks running back (and Super Bowl 60 MVP) Kenneth Walker III is scheduled to become a free agent when the new league year begins in March. Seattle should be able to afford to re-sign Walker (projected $61.9 million cap space this year), but they'll still need another back to pair with him since Zach Charbonnet is unlikely to be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in January.
That's where Mason comes in.
The Minnesota running back spent the first three years of his NFL career as a member of the San Francisco 49ers, so he's already got familiarity with the teams in the NFC West that the Seahawks face twice each season.
In addition, Seattle's new offensive coordinator, Brian Fleury, was a member of the 49ers' coaching staff when Mason was in San Francisco, so he should have a good idea about how to properly utilize him.
Excitement filled the air when the Vikings traded for Mason last year. But after only one season, he doesn't seem like a good fit for Kevin O'Connell's offense, and it wouldn't be shocking if Minnesota decided to just move on from him at some point in the next few weeks.