4 Vikings who could see a dip in production in 2024

The Minnesota Vikings hand a handful of players who broke out or had career performances during the 2023 season.

Maybe the starter ahead of them suffered an injury, and more opportunities arose. Or maybe there wasn't a ton of competition for playing time, and they were the best option, and because of that, they saw the most snaps.

Those situations can change from season to season, and so can a player's production.

Today, we will look at four members of the Vikings who may see a dip in production in 2024 because of what new situations the upcoming season brings to them.

Minnesota Vikings who could see a dip in production in 2024

Jordan Addison - WR

Jordan Addison had a huge rookie year in 2023. He burst onto the scene, scoring in his first game, and he never slowed down. He finished with 70 receptions for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those were eye-popping numbers, and there was a reason why he hit those marks.

The biggest one was for the majority of the season, Addison was the number one target. Justin Jefferson was lost to injury and Addison became the number one option in the passing game. This season, Jefferson is coming back healthy, and looking to put up huge numbers after getting paid. He will demand a majority of the targets and will get them because he's the best in the game.

Another reason Addison had such a huge season in 2023, was because the Vikings had no running game. They struggled to consistently move the football on the ground so they turned to the air attack because that worked.

This season, that'll change. The Vikings brought in Aaron Jones to be the No. 1 running back and will feed him often. Jones will not only see carries, but he's an excellent receiver out of the backfield and could take some targets away from Addison.

With a healthy Jefferson in tow and a stronger running game, Addison will see fewer targets. While his skills as a legitimate NFL wide receiver can't be questioned, the opportunities for him to match or surpass his rookie stat line just won't be there.

Johnny "Freakin" Mundt - TE

Johnny Mundt had a career year in 2023. He caught 17 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown. That's not bad for being the "best third tight end in the NFL."

One has to remember, though, that T.J. Hockenson was out during the last two weeks of the season, and in his absence, Mundt hauled in 10 of his 17 catches and 110 of his 172 yards.

That shows Mundt can be an effective pass-catching tight end in the NFL. With Hockenson's recovery from his injury projected to possibly last the first six weeks of 2024, one may think that Mundt is almost a lock to surpass his 2023 numbers.

However, there is one major obstacle in the way of him achieving that mark, and that is Robert Tonyan. The Vikings signed the former Lion, Packer, and Bear, and he's an excellent pass catcher.

He has wowed in this year's OTA practices and will give Mundt a run to be the primary pass-catching tight end while Hockenson is out.

If Tonyan beats Mundt out, he will see paltry snaps per game and will struggle to come close to his 2024 production.

Ivan Pace Jr. - ILB

Ivan Pace Jr. was the rookie phenom from 2023. The undrafted but explosive player made noise the minute he stepped on the practice field. He had a chip on his shoulder and quickly earned a starting job on the defense.

Pace lived up to the hype with over 100 tackles last season. But is that a mark he can hit again in 2024? Pace shared the inside duties with Jordan Hicks last year. They weren't always on the field at the same time, but then Hicks suffered an injury, and Pace got all the inside reps. He made the most out of those, and a chunk of his production came during that span.

The Vikings added another inside backer in free agency with the signing of Blake Cashman earlier this year. He will take over the Hicks role and could eat into Pace's snap count, especially if he proves to be better in pass coverage.

Josh Metellus is another versatile player who Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes to move around so it's even possible that he could cut into Pace's workload too.

Pace was and will continue to be a great story for the Vikings, but don't be shocked if his production dips a bit in 2024.

Ty Chandler - RB

Ty Chandler became the Vikings' primary running back in the final five weeks of the 2023 season. He finished the year with 461 yards on the ground and 21 receptions for 159 yards while scoring a total of three touchdowns.

Many figured he'd push to be the starter in 2024, and that looked like it could happen after Alexander Mattison's release, but then the Vikings signed Aaron Jones.

Jones is a back who doesn't come off the field very often. He's a dynamic runner, excellent in pass protection, and a dangerous receiver out of the backfield. The only thing that will slow him down would be an injury and that has unfortunately been a common occurrence in his tenure.

If Jones stays healthy all season long, that'll drastically reduce Chandler's carries. He may only see a handful per game, and those fewer opportunities will lead to a skinnier-looking stat sheet in 2024.

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