Alexander Mattison Excited about the Packers
Dustin Baker
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The Minnesota Vikings changed up the scenery at RB1 this offseason, cutting ties with Dalvin Cook in June and presumptively promoting Alexander Mattison after re-signing the tailback for two years and $7 million.
Alexander Mattison Excited about the Packers
Cook remains a free agent, and Mattison begins his quest to secure the RB1 job at training camp on Tuesday.
And when the Vikings get to the regular season in September, Mattison will be excited to play the foremost rival, the Green Bay Packers, because of their new look at quarterback.
Mattison told CNNSI last week, “You don’t want to say that the other quarterback is not good or anything like that, but you just understand what you’re getting with such a great player with Aaron Rodgers.”
The Packers traded Rodgers to the New York Jets in April after 15 seasons with the club and embark on a fresh start with Jordan Love, who enters Year No. 4 in the league and his first as QB1.
“It just makes a whole team play better. For him to have gone to another team outside of our division, it definitely helps us understand that at least we can say he’s gone. He’s out of there,” Mattison continued about the swap from Rodgers to Love.
In his absence, Green Bay is scheduled to win about 7.5 games, according to oddsmakers, and finish in third place inside the NFC North behind the Detroit Lions and Vikings. Minnesota, on the other hand, isn’t forecasted to replicate its 13-4 season from 2022, instead on deck for 8.5 wins, per sportsbooks.
For the Vikings, encountering a regression in 2023 is weird timing. Most fans yearned for the day Rodgers left the cheese team, but when the departure materialized, Minnesota suddenly became pegged for second fiddle to the allegedly upstart Lions.
Mattison also spoke on running backs, as a whole, and the recent controversy surrounding franchise tag application in the NFL. Last week, three general managers opted not to extend Saquon Barkley (New York Giants), Josh Jacobs (Las Vegas Raiders), and Tony Pollard (Dallas Cowboys) for long-term extensions, symbolizing a decrease in importance at Mattison’s position.
He told CNNSI, “It’s crazy. It’s sad. It’s a position that’s being undervalued. I think the running back position itself brings a lot of value to the team, to an offense, and so I think it’s unfair. But it’s a business — a business of this league. We understand that.”
But when the Vikings take on the Packers at Lambeau Field on October 29th, Mattison will sure be excited about Rodgers ‘out of the way.’
Who’s the New Guy on the Vikings?
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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