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When the Minnesota Vikings landed Jordan Mason during the 2025 offseason following his release by the San Francisco 49ers, the team already had a long-term plan in place at running back. Aaron Jones was a reliable workhorse in this offense, both on the ground and through the air.
But an injury-plagued year for Jones allowed Mason to show what he could do with a starter's share of snaps, and now he seems to be quickly finding his own with the first-team offense at training camp. Camps are ramping up around the league, and Mason will get his chance to prove he’s good enough to be the starting running back for the Vikings. If you’re Minnesota, this is a great problem to have; Just look within the division at the Detroit Lions, which made a dual backfield work for years.
Minnesota can do the same, though in 2026 Mason could be the feature back rather than Jones.
Why Aaron Jones is on thin ice with the starting running back job
The Minnesota Vikings were already considering letting Jones go earlier this offseason before he eventually took a pay cut to stick around. But even though Jones is back for the 2026 campaign (for now), his injury history suggests it’s not worth relying on him to be the No. 1 back for this offense moving forward. Kevin O’Connell is known for getting the most out of his running backs, but with this position battle brewing in the Twin Cities, it’s fair to think Jones will get bumped down the depth chart in favor of Mason.
Jones played in just 12 games last season, and he's had just three fully healthy years since he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers. In each one of those three, he wound up eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards. The production has never been in doubt, but because durability has been a problem, it might be better to limit Jones' carries to ensure his legs remain fresh. Just because he’s No. 2 on the depth chart doesn’t mean he won’t have a role; because of his ability to be a receiver out of the backfield as well, the Vikings could be forming their own two-headed monster.
Not to say that the Lions example is the gold standard when it comes to balancing two starting-caliber running backs, but since Jahmyr Gibbs was drafted, they've produced a 1,000-yard rusher and 700-yard rusher in each of the three years that he and David Montgomery split snaps. That could be Minnesota’s future, too, and if Jones does see less work early on in the season, it also means he should be healthy enough to produce at a high level for the stretch run (and in the playoffs if Minnesota gets there).
Why Jordan Mason is ready to take over as starting running back in Minnesota
Despite being a backup last season, Mason led the Vikings with over 750 rushing yards. And that was hardly a fluke: According to Pro Football Focus, he ranked 24th among eligible running backs with an overall grade of 74.4 and ranked 10th with an 83.8 running grade last season. He’s already proven he’s good enough to be a feature back in the NFL; Minnesota just needs to give him the keys to the rush attack. This shouldn’t be a surprise, given that he did the same thing back in 2024 in San Francisco.
Christian McCaffrey’s 2024 season was cut short due to injury, and that opened the door for Mason to take over. Before he got hurt, he played in 12 games and had more rushing yards that season (789) than he did over 16 games last year. The potential was always there. San Francisco didn’t want to re-sign him, so he fell to the Vikings. Now Minnesota has a chance to really cash in.
Mason has handled the load of being an every-down running back before. His biggest problem is that he’s not a great receiver out of the backfield, which could hold Minnesota back a bit, but that’s not that much of a problem. After all, having Jones as an option in passing situations could help the Vikings get the best out of both players.
Mason has been healthy throughout his career aside from the 2024 season. In 2026, the Vikings have every reason to shake up the running back hierarchy and give Mason a chance as the starter. This training camp could be the chance he needs to winning the starting job, and if he’s good enough to dethrone Jones, he’ll be good enough to keep it the remainder of the season.
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This article was originally published on fansided.com as Vikings veteran in danger of being relegated to backup duty already.
