ESPN Forecasts Wild Demotion for Vikings Playmaker
All NFL predictions will wind down over the next few days as the regular season formally begins this weekend.
ESPN’s latest projection forecasts a weird demotion for a key Vikings runner, creating debate about his role and what it could mean in 2025.
In the meantime, ESPN stepped up to the plate this week and delivered prognostications for each team. The Minnesota Vikings were not excluded.
The big take for the purple team? Running back Jordan Mason will eventually overtake Aaron Jones on the depth chart.
Jordan Mason In as RB1 — Eventually. Aaron Jones Out, Says ESPN
It’s a bold take for Vikings newcomer Jordan Mason.
ESPN Claims Jordan Mason Could Take Over RB Job from Aaron Jones
Minnesota added Mason via trade with the San Francisco 49ers in March, an unexpected deal that fans immediately approved.
And the swap might’ve been so sweet that Mason takes the main RB gig before too long, says ESPN’s Dan Graziano. He wrote, “Don’t be surprised if … Jordan Mason leads the team in rushing.”
“What I’m hearing: The Vikings love Aaron Jones Sr. If you’ve ever talked to Jones, you know why. He is a great player and a great guy to have in your locker room. But he’s also 30 years old and coming off a 322-touch season.”
Jones notched 1,546 yards from scrimmage last season, his first in Minnesota.
“The Vikings traded for Mason, the former 49ers back who they believe adds an explosive element to their run game. So far, they’ve been thrilled with Mason’s play, and they envision a pretty even split in running back duties this season between him and Jones. But during some Christian McCaffrey absences in San Francisco, Mason did show the ability to function as more than just part of a tandem,” Graziano continued.
“He ran for 789 yards on 153 carries last season. So it’s not hard to picture a scenario in which the Vikings decide to lean more on him as the season goes along. Again, nothing against Jones — this could just be the natural evolution of things in Minnesota.”
The Best of Both Worlds
The forecast for Jones and Mason isn’t necessarily bad.
Jones is the RB1 on the depth chart, but like last year in San Francisco, Mason could factor in significantly by season’s end. Mason recorded 789 rushing yards on 153 attempts for an ultra-impressive 5.3 yards per carry. That’s just what the doctor ordered for Kevin O’Connell’s offense.
The best-case scenario is a responsibility split between Jones and Mason, not unlike what the Detroit Lions employ with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.
Aaron Jones’ Age
There’s also the Jones age angle. He’ll turn 31 this season, and running backs notoriously slow down by that age or earlier.
Meanwhile, Jones has one major knock on his career resume: he’s somewhat injury-prone. Graziano’s scenario might involve an injury to Jones, in which case Mason took over the RB1 assignment for an undetermined number of weeks — and then just never relinquished the job because he proved to be “too productive.”
Jordan Mason in His Prime
Conversely, Mason turned 26 this offseason. Per most running backs’ performance throughout history, this season, 2026, and perhaps 2027 will be the best in his career. The Vikings have the advantageous perk of onboarding Mason at the perfect time.
He just experienced a mini-breakout in San Francisco due to Christian McCaffrey’s injury. Now, he’s in a job behind an aging tailback in Jones.
The time could be now for Mason, potentially leading to an RB1 job in the Twin Cities for the next few seasons. It’s how the business works.
The Prediction for the Packers
To the east of Minnesota, Graziano also published a prediction for the Green Bay Packers, claiming quarterback Jordan Love could turn heads with an MVP-caliber season.
He explained, “Don’t be surprised if … quarterback Jordan Love is an MVP finalist. What I’m hearing: It sounds like Love will be fully healthy and ready to go for Week 1, even after having a procedure a couple of weeks ago to treat an injury to the thumb of his non-throwing hand.”
“Remember that Love injured his knee in last season’s opener against the Eagles in Brazil and took a while to get back to full health. Remember also that the Packers had the youngest roster in the league last season and still finished in the top five in defensive EPA and defensive efficiency in the first year of a new defensive system.”
Love accounted for 3,389 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in 15 games last season.
Graziano added, “They drafted Matthew Golden in the first round to add a potential true No. 1 WR to Love’s already deep wide receiver corps. They also have depth at tight end, an impact running back in Josh Jacobs and a strong offensive line. And of their seven losses last season, six came to the Lions, Vikings and Eagles — the top three teams in the NFC.”
“If the Packers can improve their performance against the league’s top contenders and Love can stay healthy, they are set up to win a lot of games this season. And if they do that, their quarterback is going to be a top MVP candidate.”
Graziano also predicted that Chicago Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland will be heavily involved in the offense right off the bat.
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