There’s One Viking Everyone Will Fall in Love With
The Minnesota Vikings added over 40 newcomers this offseason, highlighted by the free-agent additions of Will Fries (G), Ryan Kelly (C), Jonathan Allen (DT), and Javon Hargrave (DT).
One Vikings newcomer hasn’t even suited up yet, but his possible impact on the 2025 offense will win folks’ hearts.
Folks will assuredly enjoy those men on the 2025 depth chart.
But when the 2025 season is in the books, new running back Jordan Mason may captivate hearts the most. Here’s why.
Don’t Fight It. You Will Fall in Love with Jordan Mason
The Vikings’ new running back will turn heads in the best way possible this season.
Jordan Mason … the Vikings’ RB Offseason Splash
For context, Mason joined the Vikings via trade on a Saturday night in March. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had previously traded failed-for-a-2nd-Rounder guard Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans for a 6th-Round pick.
Most Vikings loyalists applauded the trade because they didn’t think Ingram would fetch any draft picks.
Shortly thereafter, Adofo-Mensah used the 6th-Rounder from the Ingram trade to dangle it in front of San Francisco 49ers boss John Lynch. He pounced, and Mason came to the Twin Cities as a result of the Ingram trade.
The new Viking is in line for an RB2 job this season.
Why Will Fans Fall in Love
Now, the punchline.
Mason is as efficient as they come, a tailback in his career’s prime at age 26. His time is now. He’s 4.5 years younger than Aaron Jones, Minnesota’s RB1. For context, think of Aaron Jones’ performance and reputation in 2020. One of the best halfbacks in the NFL. Right there with Dalvin Cook.
The ex-49er will have fresh legs — and he’s a scorer.
The Vikings have struggled with basic rushing offense functions in the last three seasons, like scoring touchdowns inside the 5-yard line. It’s embarrassing, in fact. Mason doesn’t struggle to score inside the 5-yard line. He’s the guy you hand the ball to shove the ball into the endzone. It’s what he did in San Francisco, parlaying that success into a trade and new contract in Minnesota.
Henceforth, when it’s 3rd and Goal from the 2-yard line, Vikings fans no longer have to cringe — or just expect two consecutive passing plays. Mason is the short-yardage elixir.
Keep an Eye on Aaron Jones’ Injury History
Meanwhile, Jones will turn 31 this season. Eventually — hopefully not in 2025 — he will encounter an age-related decline. See: Dalvin Cook in 2023.
The only knock on Jones in his illustrious career is injuries. He played all 17 games last season but was noticeably hobbled at times down the stretch of 2024, his first season in purple.
When or if Jones misses games, onlookers need not panic. The Vikings have an RB2 plan this time, and his name is Jordan Mason.
Finally Repairing the Rushing Offense
There’s also the matter of rushing offense inefficiency. Minnesota ranked sixth-worst in the NFL per rushing offensive DVOA in 2022 and 2023, while Jones helped his team to nudge the ranking seven spots to No. 20 in 2024.
Mason will provide a fresh option — not an Alexander Mattison solution. Not a Cam Akers trade. Not a Ty Chandler promotion. And no Myles Gaskin practice squad hopscotch.
Mason is a guy who can handle an RB1 carry load when called upon. Fans will love him for it.
The Athletic on Jordan Mason
Alec Lewis of The Athletic peeled back the curtain on Mason earlier this month.
He wrote, “The Vikings didn’t need to spend meaningful resources on another running back. They had re-signed veteran Aaron Jones, and the NFL Draft class provided plenty of intriguing prospects. If Mason, then a restricted free agent, had not surfaced as a possible option, the Vikings would’ve likely prioritized a late-round running back.”
“His availability intrigued Minnesota’s brass for reasons beyond his performance in Week 2. First, there are the advanced statistics. Next Gen Stats developed a metric using player-tracking data to assess the degree to which running backs generate more yards than expected. In 2024, Derrick Henry ranked first, followed by Saquon Barkley.”
The San Francisco 49ers are known for running back efficiency, so it makes sense that Minnesota would target that organization for a new runner, especially considering Adofo-Mensah got his break in the NFL with the franchise. San Francisco hired Adofo-Mensah as the manager of football research & development in 2013.
Lewis continued, “Who trailed them at No. 3? Mason. He forced missed tackles at a rate comparable to Henry. His rushing yards after contact reside among the league’s best. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has said that running back production is about as difficult to parse as at any position. The ground game hinges on offensive line success. Scheme and run-game design are integral, too. However, Mason checks all the data boxes to determine the future impact.”
“Last year’s opportunity, combined with growth that both Mason and legendary 49ers running backs coach Bobby Turner talked about at length, caught the attention of teams like the Vikings. They viewed the exchange of a fifth-round pick for a 26-year-old with minimal tread on the tires as a no-brainer.”
Mason will get his carries. Mason will score redzone touchdowns. And fans will love the man.
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