The Vikings May Have Found Their Next Big Thing
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has promised to effectively run the football for about three years, and he may finally deliver on the commitment because of Jordan Mason’s presence on the roster.
The Minnesota Vikings might have stumbled upon an unearthed gem through a few weeks of the 2025 regular season — a good sign.
Mason is beginning to turn heads in the Twin Cities, and for a team banking on a change in offensive style, the former San Francisco 49er is just what the doctor ordered.
Circle Jordan Mason on Sundays for the Vikings
Minnesota’s ground game is trending upward.
Jordan Mason Could Morph into Vikings’ Offensive Identity
No matter what happens at quarterback for Minnesota — rolling with Carson Wentz indefinitely or handing the QB1 scepter back to J.J. McCarthy when he heals from a high ankle sprain — the team will not employ an overly productive, high-volume quarterback. It will be rare for Minnesota to throw the football 50 times in a game, and if it does, it will probably lose.
Which makes Mason crucial. Utterly crucial.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded for Mason back in March, a low-risk trade involving a 6th-Round pick, as the 49ers were confoundingly content with offloading the upstart runner.
Now, Mason lives on the Vikings’ roster and has fully taken over the RB1 role with Aaron Jones on the shelf, a player battling a hamstring ailment.
Mason can be the answer to Minnesota’s longstanding rushing offense woes, and the plan is already in motion.
A 4-Year Drought of Top-Tier RB Play
Dalvin Cook left the Vikings after the 2022 campaign, and even during that season, the first with Kevin O’Connell in charge, his efficiency noticeably declined. Before that, however, in 2019, 2020, and 2021, Cook was a deadly tailback, able to rush the rock, catch out of the backfield, and pass-block with the best of them.
Thereafter, in 2022 with Cook’s dip, 2023 with Alexander Mattison at RB1, and 2024 with Aaron Jones playing decently, Minnesota has not featured a Top 10 running back in four years. It’s why the ground game has habitually lagged under O’Connell.
Mason represents the best chance since prime Cook to rekindle a potent rushing offense. Go back and watch the tape from Sunday against the Bengals if there’s any mystery. Mason breaks tackles and rarely gets dropped for a loss.
Leaning on Mason when J.J. McCarthy Returns
Before too long, Minnesota will likely return to McCarthy as the starting quarterback once his high ankle sprain has healed.
The Vikings won’t ask McCarthy to throw at a prolific clip, meaning the running back will be showcased more than ever under O’Connell. That’s where Mason comes in — hungry to keep the assignment of a bellcow back.
Too, Aaron Jones will return in a month or so, and then Minnesota will have the best of both worlds. A possibly dazzling RB1 in Mason and an experienced pass-catching, blocking, and rejuvenated RB2 in Jones.
The Numbers Confirm Mason’s Breakout
EPA/Play per rush illustrates wins added to a team’s total per rushing attempt. It basically judges efficiency.
Here’s the skinny entering Week 4 around the NFL:
Top EPA/Rush Attempt,
thru Week 3,
Min. 40 attempts:
1. Javonte Williams (0.11)
2. James Cook (0.10)
3. Jonathan Taylor (0.10)
4. Jordan Mason (0.08)
5. J.K. Dobbins (0.08)
6. Jahmyr Gibbs (0.02)
7. Travis Etienne (-0.01)
8. Kyren Williams (-0.06)
Mason is the NFL’s fourth-best high-volume tailback out of the gate in 2025, and his workload will only increase with Jones on injured reserve. The 26-year-old also averages 5.4 yards per carry, which is right in line with his career average. This season in Minnesota so far is not an outlier. This is who he is.
Fantasy Angle for Mason
Fantasy Life‘s Gene Clemons on Mason: “Mason started as RB31, and this week he is RB14. He finished as RB4 in week three after getting the full offensive workload in the backfield for the Vikings. He ran 16 times for 116 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings’ win over the Bengals.”
“While not every defense will be Cincy, Mason’s ability to pick up tough yards and churn out explosive runs makes him a great fantasy back, especially now that he will likely have the backfield to himself with Aaron Jones on injured reserve. He’s playing with a point to prove and possibly more riches in his future. The toothpaste is out of the tube; he will not relinquish this RB1 role.”
And one more take from FantasyPro‘s Ellis Johnson: “From the worst defense in the AFC North to the second-worst defense, Mason is primed for another big day. After scorching the Bengals for 116 yards and two scores, Mason now takes on a Steelers team that has struggled on defense. Averaging the 14th most points to the RB position and 107 rushing yards per game to backs, Mason should have another great week.”
“Usually, backs that don’t pass catch have a limited floor; however, in a good matchup, Mason will see enough work to come through for fantasy. It’s been a long time since this Steelers team has struggled on defense. If they can start to turn it around and shut down Carson Wentz (which shouldn’t be too hard), Mason may have a tough time running against this front. That is a big “if” and leaves Mason as a high-end RB2 for Week 4.”
The Vikings have rushed the ball 49.67% of the time to date this season on offense, the fifth-most in the business.
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