6 most disappointing Vikings from the 2023 NFL season

Most disappointing Viking of 2023

Alexander Mattison - RB

Alexander Mattison was brought back to be the lead back to replace Dalvin Cook last spring, but his first season as a starter didn’t go as planned.

The 25-year-old managed just 700 yards and 3.9 yards per carry last season while becoming just the 13th running back since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to not have a rushing touchdown with at least 180 rushing attempts.

By the end of last season, Mattison was splitting time in the backfield with Ty Chandler, and the Vikings ranked 29th in rushing yards (1,553) and 23rd in yards per attempt (4.0).

While his performance was disappointing, there were warning signs that Mattison should have never been in this position.

The Vikings' decision to bring Mattison back was a complete 180, as he had a career-low 74 carries in 2022. Although he had a success rate of 47.3 percent last season, it was an outlier from his 43.7 percent career rate and regressed to 45 percent in 2023.

There’s also a chance that Mattison wasn’t even the Vikings’ Plan A, as they reportedly had an interest in David Montgomery before he signed with the Detroit Lions and had a starter’s grade on seventh-round pick DeWayne McBride before he failed to make the team in training camp.

Whatever the reason, Mattison’s “RB1” era didn’t work out, and the Vikings need to find a solution to the problem this offseason.