This time around McCarthy debuted against the Houston Texans and emerged unscathed. It’s expected to be his lone preseason exposure this year. Unfortunately teammate Rondale Moore was not so lucky and was carted off with what appears to be a season-ending injury.

Elsewhere in the NFL there were injury situations to monitor as well. Among the scariest was former Vikings running back Alexander Mattison leaving in an ambulane.

Alexander Mattison season over after neck surgery

Alexander Mattison was a strong backup to Dalvin Cook for years. Minnesota then used him in a starting capacity for the 2023 season and the results were lackluster. After a year with Las Vegas in 2024, he was competing for touches with the Miami Dolphins this season. Now that opportunity is gone.

Dolphins running back Alexander Mattison underwent season-ending neck surgery Sunday in Chicago, per sources. Mattison hurt his neck during Sunday’s game vs. the Bears, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and had surgery. pic.twitter.com/uYM95c6WXz

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 11, 2025

Neck injury ends the season for Alexander Mattison pic.twitter.com/E8Z31W7Eb5

— Fitzmagic (@jakefitz357) August 11, 2025

Mattison was tackled straight down onto his neck in a matchup against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Prior to his injury he carried the rock three times for eight yards and a touchdown. The injury came on a 21 yard pass reception.

It’s unlikely that Mattison would have seen considerable time with starter De’Von Achane established, but he could have helped to supplement rookie Ollie Gordon II. Now, after the scary neck injury and immediate surgery, the focus will be getting back to full health regardless of football.

Related: Training Camp Stock Prices Skyrocketing for Select MN Vikings

The former Minnesota Vikings running back is just 27 years old and has a lot of life left to live. He was consistently available and healthy in Minnesota having played at least 13 games in each season. This injury is significant, and getting his body back to a place where he can feel comfortable is a must.

More for Mattison’s future if he wants it

Last season with the Raiders Mattison drew seven starts in 14 games and ran for 420 yards with four touchdowns. If he wants to resume his playing career after healing this season, then he should have suitors again next offseason.

While football remains the most popular sport in the country, this weekend’s exhibition matchups provided a stark reminder as to how violent the game can be. Detroit Lions defensive back was also taken off in an ambulance, and the game was suspended, after a head injury caused him to seize on the field.

Related: Insiders Lukewarm on Minnesota Vikings Future

The Vikings will host the New England Patriots for joint practices this week prior to their second exhibition contest on Saturday. Once again, Kevin O’Connell will be seeking an opportunity for his roster to get and stay healthy.

Being that Cook averaged just 3.2 yards per carry while finishing with 214 rushing yards, the Vikings weren’t necessarily wrong to move on from their former starter. Yet, Mattison didn’t exactly hit the ground running either.

Now, after averaging just 3.9 YPC and finishing with 700 rushing yards and zero touchdowns (rushing), Mattison’s time with the Vikings has come to an end.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Vikings are releasing Mattison.

Vikings informed RB Alexander Mattison today that they are releasing him, per source. Mattison took over last season for Dalvin Cook and ran for 700 yards and caught 30 passes. Now he becomes a free agent again, like last year when he signed a two-year deal with Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/ez5fvvqGxn

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 1, 2024

Related: Owner Reportedly Demands that Falcons Do Whatever it Takes to Land Kirk Cousins

The move comes as a surprise for a number of reasons. One, there isn’t anyone who stole the starting job, though consideration could be given to Ty Chandler.

Yet, the more fascinating aspect of this transaction is that Mattison was believed to have $2.75 million already fully guaranteed for the 2024 season. Yet, as Darren Wolfson found out, this near $3M amount would have become fully guaranteed on March 15. By releasing Mattison now, this transaction saves the Vikings $3.35 million in cap space.

However, it’s become clear that the Vikings feel they can either get better production elsewhere or use Mattison’s roster spot on a player they feel is better equipped to get more wins in 2024. With a deep class of free agent running backs, including Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Josh Jacobs, plus a similarly fascinating draft class, the Vikings will have to look elsewhere to improve the RB position this offseason.

Mainstays include Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, DeWayne McBride, and pending free agent Cam Akers, who may seek a chance to return to Minnesota after yet another season-ending injury.

Related: Rick Spielman Still Has No Idea How to Evaluate College Quarterbacks

K.J. Osborn – Will He Be Too Expensive?

While he’s never been a star in Minnesota’s offense, K.J. Osborn has also never posted a ‘bad’ season by any means. As a former fifth-round pick, he’s certainly lived up to his draft selection. Far from a Justin Jefferson-level talent, Osborn has been reliable, racking up at least 540 yards and 48 catches in each of his past three seasons.

Already set for unrestricted free agency, there’s a good chance Osborn finds a better opportunity elsewhere this offseason. It’s not that he wouldn’t be welcomed back to a top-heavy receiving corps that has very little proven depth behind it.

Instead, the Vikings may be forced to move on from Osborn simply due to cost. He becomes a free agent this offseason and other teams around the NFL may view the 26-year-old wideout as someone who could fill a starting role in their offense, in which he’s been surpassed by both Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota.

Not to mention, the Vikings might find more use out of a player who can bring more speed to the offense while offering more yards after catch opportunities, both traits Osborn does not possess.

Related: New Alabama Head Coach Kalen DeBoer is a Die-Hard Minnesota Sports Fan

Trade Lewis Cine For Best Offer Available

Is there a ‘need’ to move on from the 32nd overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft? Absolutely not. While Lewis Cine has yet to contribute much to the Vikings since becoming a first-round selection, he’ll still be just 24 when the 2024 season starts. That’s plenty of time for the former Georgia star to make his mark with the Vikings.

Yet, no one knew the type of players Camryn Bynum and Josh Metellus would become when GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made Cine his first-ever draft selection. Outside of maybe Alexander Mattison (more on him in a moment) the Vikings do not care about which round a player was drafted in or what his role was supposed to be, when acquired. The best players see the field. Ivan Pace Jr. proved that more so than anyone else this past season.

While Cine may still have something to offer, the reality is the Vikings already have three safeties who demand more playing time than him. In turn, it may be best for the front office to see if they can dump their former top pick for something like a late-round draft selection (perhaps a 5th-round pick).

While Harrison Smith’s future may be unclear, other young players like Jay Ward and Theo Jackson can likely fill the third safety role in Minnesota while still contributing on special teams.

If Possible, Vikings Should Move On From Alexander Mattison

This one may be tricky. A year ago, the Vikings essentially chose Alexander Mattison over Dalvin Cook, hoping the bulky back could provide a less expensive option that still produces at a high level. Vikings fans all across the globe will tell you that didn’t work out so well.

However, the Vikings signed Mattison to a two-year, $7 million contract in 2023, with $2.75 million of his contract in 2024 already guaranteed. Cutting him wouldn’t solve any cap issues. In fact, releasing Mattison would only offer $600K in cap savings, given the $4 million penalty releasing him would trigger.

Related: 2024 Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft Roundup

So what’s the point? Money aside, Mattison rarely looked like the best running back on this team last season. Ty Chandler’s 4.5 YPA is clearly more efficient than trotting Mattison out there, averaging just 3.9 YPA. And it’s not like Mattison’s hard-nosed running style led to more scores either, he didn’t even have a rushing touchdown this season.

The Vikings may not feel like they have much of a choice but to keep Mattison on the roster, but honestly, giving those reps to anyone else, such as Chandler, Cam Akers after he rehabs another Achilles injury OR a late-round draft pick come April would probably benefit Kevin O’Connell’s offense more than another year of Mattison.

Related: How Much is Justin Jefferson Going to Cost and Will New Contract Handcuff Vikings?

Recently, I’ve seen a lot of cap saving fingers point to running back Alexander Mattison as an easy cost-saving release, and for good reason. He’s scheduled to make $4.6 million next season, a salary meant for starting running backs in the NFL.

Should Minnesota Vikings Cut Alexander Mattison?

In 2023, Mattison did nothing to prove himself worthy of RB1 status, even though he was given every opportunity too many opportunities to do so. He ran for just 700 yards on 180 carries last season, good for an ugly 3.9 yards per carry.

Even with a career high in attempts, Mattison posted a career low in broken tackles, with just 5. That’s 36 carries for every broken tackle, in case you are counting. So, there we go. That was easy, huh? Point proven. The Minnesota Vikings should move on from Alexander Mattison.

Ty Chandler has more rushing yards in his first career start than Alexander Mattison has had in any game in his entire career

— David J. Gautieri (@GuruFantasyWrld) December 16, 2023

The contract says…

Ope… not so fast. In theory, cutting Alexander Mattison makes a lot of logic sense. But of course, there’s a problem. Because moving on from Mattison won’t be quite that easy. In fact, it won’t be easy at all. Why? Well, because $4 million of the $4.6 million he is scheduled to make in 2024 is fully guaranteed.

Related: Vikings Intend to Bring Kirk Cousins Back and Address QB Future This Offseason

That’s right, unless Mattison agrees to restructure his contract, the Vikings will pay him at least $4 million this season, whether he is on the roster or not. According to Spotrac.com, Mattison will count $4.6 million against the salary cap if on the team next year and $4 million against the cap if they cut him.

Should the Vikings somehow find a trade partner willing to take on what they can of Alex’s salary, Kwesi would save $3.35 million against Minnesota’s 2024 cap. But even then, they’d have to eat $1.25 million in dead cap.

And no, there is no ‘post June 1’ magic date that the Vikings can designate Mattison’s release for, in order to escape the dead cap hit in 2024. Unless he willingly takes a pay cut, #2 will take up $4M to $5M in cap space next season no matter what.

What was Kwesi Adofo-Mensah thinking?

I hate being the hindsight is 20/20 guy but signing Alexander Mattison to a 2-year fully guaranteed contract makes no sense. We were sold on this idea that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell would come in and make decisions based on how football is supposed to be played and how rosters are supposed to be constructed in the 2020s. So why is this a thing?

Related: 2024 Minnesota Vikings Mock Draft – 1.0

You don’t have to own a degree from Wall Street or the NFL to know that guaranteeing future money to running backs is a huge no-no, in 2024. Yet here we are, with a running back we don’t want but can’t get rid of because he has too much guaranteed money on the contract he signed with just last offseason.

Alexander Mattison remains Vikings starting running back

Related: Minnesota Vikings Defense Rankings 2023 – Week 12

In the tweet, Fowler says that Mattison will still get the bulk of the carries but did add that Ty Chandler’s role will be more “enhanced” compared to prior weeks… whatever that means. Once again, the issue with Chandler appears to be in pass protection.

While Alexander Mattison will continue to start for #Vikings tonight vs. Bears, Minnesota will keep using Ty Chandler in an enhanced role. Team high on upside/explosion, once he gets pass protection down.

Vikings have good two-back dynamic leading into December.

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 27, 2023

Why won’t Minnesota Vikings start Ty Chandler?

At first glance, the pass protection reference seems overplayed, when using it to excuse RB1 playing time for a RB who can’t hang on to the football or run the ball better than the RB2. And it appeared Mattison was as close to being benched as he has been all season, after head coach Kevin O’Connell went after him publicly last week.

But in the Vikings offense, given how much KOC likes to pass the ball, blocking ability cannot be discounted if the difference in the two blockers is that stark. We’ll have to see how snaps and carries are divvied out during Monday night’s contest.

But on Wednesday, KOC was a players coach who sounded like he was about to bench Vikings starting running back Alexander Mattison, whose 2nd half fumble vs the Denver Broncos was the key turning point in their eventual loss.

Is Kevin O’Connell about to bench Alexander Mattison?

O’Connell was asked at his press conference this afternoon if Mattison could see a decrease in usage, due to his butterfingers. His answer felt quite telling.

Asked Kevin O'Connell if Alex Mattison's fumble will impact his touches. O'Connell's answer included:

"It's very important that our guys understand how important it is to possess the football."

+

"We have to be critical and make sure there is an accountability factor there."

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 22, 2023

Fumbles aren’t Mattison’s only problem

It wasn’t the first time this season that the Vikings new RB1 has had issues hanging onto the football or the first time KOC has made threats to bench players over it. But his butterfingers aren’t Mattison’s only problem. His backup Ty Chandler has looked stronger and more explosive in recent weeks, than Alex has.

Related: NFC Playoff Picture Shines Positive Light on Minnesota Vikings

Chandler went for 7.3 YPC in his 10 carries in Denver. Mattison, in one of his better performances on the year (outside of his fumble), averaged 4.5 YPC. Oh, and Chandler threw in 4 catches for 37 receiving yards, too.

There are questions about Chandler’s knowledge of the Vikings offense, not to mention his deficiencies as a pass blocker. Both of those things are problems for a running back in his second season. But, so is fumbling. And Mattison’s 3.7 YPC average on the season. And whatever the hell this is…

Alexander Mattison's 11 runs inside the 10-yard line have netted 0 touchdowns and -5 yards.

— Paul Charchian (@PaulCharchian) November 22, 2023

Despite spending the week in concussion protocol and being listed as questionable for Sunday night, Vikings’ RB Alexander Mattison is “good to go” and expected to play vs. the Broncos, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 19, 2023

Alexander Mattison expected to play for Minnesota Vikings

Obviously, head injuries are no joke and every sane Vikings fan on the planet wants Alex to fully recover from the concussion he suffered last weekend. But from a football standpoint, I’m not sure Mattison’s presence in the backfield helps Minnesota all that much, beyond adding more depth at the position.

Related: Anthony Barr Elevated to Vikings Active Roster; Justin Jefferson Out

Everyone was excited to see Ty Chandler as the team’s RB1, given the utter mediocrity brought to the table by Mattison, so far this season. We’ll see how Mattison’s availability changes Kevin O’Connell’s plans but one thing is for sure, fantasy football managers are not happy tonight.

Ty Chandler is explosive 🔥
pic.twitter.com/OhTQq0pAFf

— SB23 (@SkolBros) November 13, 2023

But if we’re on the football field, talking yards-per-carry for a starting NFL running back, it’s not just a bench-worthy number… straight up embarrassing. Like, poop your pants in the middle of 9th grade gym class, embarrassing.

Why is Alexander Mattison still the Minnesota Vikings RB1?

But that’s what Minnesota Vikings “RB1”, Alexander Mattison, mustered vs the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon. 18 carries, 44 yards, 0 touchdowns.

It’s the 2nd-straight week his per carry average has fallen below 3.5 yards and the 4th time it’s happened in 6 games this season. Yet… head coach and offensive play-caller, Kevin O’Connell, continues to feed him.

Minnesota Vikings target + touches distribution today:

25 – Alexander Mattison
8 – T.J. Hockenson
5 – Jordan Addison
5 – K.J. Osborn
4 – Brandon Powell
2 – Cam Akers

— Phil Mackey 🎙 (@PhilMackey) October 15, 2023

Meanwhile, Cam Akers, who the Vikings traded for a few weeks ago, is averaging 5.7 yards per carry, since arriving in Minnesota, including 8 yards on his only attempt vs the Bears. For most of us, it’s been obvious since Akers first carry in purple that he is a superior running back to Alexander Mattison.

Related: O’Connell Reiterates Alexander Mattison is Vikings’ RB1; Cam Akers Likely Inactive

Not only is Cam faster, quicker and more explosive than Alex, but he has much better vision and breaks more tackles too. That’s not difficult to do, though. Mattison’s struggles to find rushing lanes is evident week in and week out, and his overall statistics speak for themselves.

And as for broken tackles, Cam Akers has more than zero, which is all it takes to outpace the Minnesota Vikings current RB1. That right, Alexander Mattison has started 6 games this season and he’s carried the football 82 times.

Yet, the 24-year-old former Boise State star has ZERO broken tackles to show for it. Per Pro Football Reference, Alexander Mattison is the only running back in the NFL, with 50+ carries, who has yet to break a single tackle through 6 weeks.

NFL running backs with ZERO broken tackles in 2023 (thru wk 6):

– Alexander Mattison – 82 carries (6 starts)
– Ezekiel Elliott – 49 (0)
– Rico Dowdle – 25 (0)
– Samaje Perine – 24 (1)
– Jordan Mason – 21 (0)
– Tony Jones – 21 (1)
– Deuce Vaughn – 20 (0)
– D'Onta Foreman – 20 (1)

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 16, 2023

If you drop the qualifier to 49+ carries, Ezekiel Elliott joins him on the list of shame. Drop the qualifier even lower, you’ll get a few more guys that most NFL fans have never heard of. But Mattison is the only back on the list with more than 1 start and he is clearly the outlier of the group, when it comes to usage.

If you can’t break tackles, as a National Football League running back, you will not play… unless your name is Alexander Mattison. And don’t blame the offensive line. Not only has the Vikings o-line been vastly improved in the pass game, so far through 6 weeks, but they are elite when run-blocking.

Don’t blame the Vikings’ offensive line.

Related: 2023 Vikings Offensive Line is Very Underappreciated

The lowest PFF run block grade on Minnesota’s front-5 is Ed Ingram’s 69.5, easily above average among the 64-ish starting guards in the NFL. Ezra Cleveland is the 2nd-worst, at 72.8.

Then, there’s Garrett Bradbury, Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw, who all rank top-6 at their positions. O’Neill’s 89.2 run block grade ranks 1st at PFF among qualified tackles.

Combined, that’s a top-5 unit in the league. Minnesota’s OL is so good blocking the run that, if you pull up the PFF offensive line positional rankings, you’ll see all five OL starters for the Vikings before you stumble across one o-lineman from 16 different teams.

Yet, Mattison is averaging 3.9 yards per carry, good for 26th in the NFL. Take weeks 3 and 4 out, that number drops closer to 3.0.

His PFF grade, a putrid 57.1, is good for 46th among qualified running backs, one slot ahead of his old teammate, Dalvin Cook (56.5). On the season, Mattison has been on the field for 273 of the Vikings offensive snaps; Cook has gotten 95 snaps with the Jets. Do I need to keep going?

When the eye test, the statistical test and the advanced analytical test all say the same thing, that Alexander Mattison is not RB1 caliber, it’s probably time to take note and do something about it.

So please, Kevin O’Connell, do the right thing and bench Alexander Mattison.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Since the moves were made, everyone involved has downplayed both transactions, as related to this weekend’s game vs the Los Angeles Chargers. Dalton Risner told reporters, earlier this week, that he isn’t expecting to start on Sunday.

Related: Vikings Continue To Take Kirk Cousins’ Durability For Granted

Cam Akers takes backseat to Alexander Mattison

Then on Friday, Kevin O’Connell addressed the Akers trade, all but declaring his new running back inactive for week 3 and reiterating to everyone watching that Alexander Mattison is still the Minnesota Vikings’ RB1.

"It's a little too soon to ask him to go this week." – Head Coach Kevin O'Connell on RB Cam Akers pic.twitter.com/qyQK7XddRD

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 22, 2023

“I told Alex nothing changes for him. The feelings I’ve had about Alex and his role for us still all feel the same. There’s a thousand things that we can all do to improve our run game, but as far as Alex Mattison goes, he’s our lead back and continue to want to build things around him.”

When at his best, Cam Akers is a legitimate threat in the running game and a talent defenses have to plan for. But in his first game of 2023, he was far from that, rushing for just 29 yards on a legitimate 22-carry workload. The next weekend, he was inactive and, by Wednesday, Aker was a Viking.

No matter what version the Viking get, Cam Akers has never been a workhorse running back. So that’s certainly not what Kevin O’Connell would ask of him. Still, it is kind of interesting that KOC felt he needed to back Mattison so strongly today.

Alexander Mattison still Minnesota Vikings’ RB1… for now

Alexander Mattison has been better statistically (3.3 YPC) than Akers was in week 1, but he’s had some butter finger problems and the Vikings running game, as a whole, is one of the worst in the NFL.

But O’Connell made it clear, there’s nothing in the game plan for Cam Akers this week. Thus, it makes sense that O’Connell would pump up the running back who will be taking all of the RB1 carries, instead.

We’ll see what kind of tune the head coach is singing next week, after we see another Sunday with Mattison in the backfield and after another week of getting Aker up to speed on the Vikings playbook.

Read the rest of our Minnesota Vikings blogs!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Through the first two weeks of the season, Mattison has just 62 yards rushing on 19 carries. That equates to 3.2 yards per carry. He also has failed to score a rushing touchdown so far this season.

He has not been much better as a receiver. He does have a receiving touchdown, but his overall production has been ineffective there, too. Mattison has six receptions for 21 yards.

Reasons for Alexander Mattison struggles

Play-calling: Vikings head coach Kevin O’ Connell has been out coached in both games so far this season. A running back can only have success if he is put in a position to succeed. Which bring me to my next very important point.

Offensive line: The offensive line hasn’t made it any easier for Mattison to cement himself as the new starting running back in Minnesota. Big holes are rare and when they are there, they seem to close up quick. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Vikings were playing some reserves and that made it even harder to get positive rushing yardage.

Scheme and fit: At the end of the day, Mattison may not be the best fit for the Vikings offense. That isn’t a knock on him either. Mattison is a power runner with limited vision. The zone scheme that the Vikings run is heavily dependent on good vision. It’s a good scheme but running backs must be able to find the open hole and hit it. This offense is best suited for an elusive back who is great at catching out of the backfield. That doesn’t mean he cant do it. It just wont come as naturally as it did for Dalvin Cook.

Give Alexander Mattison some time

People are giving up on Mattison too early. So far the Vikings have played against defensive fronts that have absolutely outmatched the Vikings’ offensive line play and play-calling. For context, Mattison actually did better against the Eagles than Cook did last season. Last year against the Eagles, Cook had only 17 yards on 6 carries. In recent history, the Eagles scheme really well against the Vikings making everything they want to do on offense very challenging.

I am still confident that Mattison will have a big impact when the Viking are healthy on offensive line, or O’Connell improves his play-calling,

Why didn’t the Vikings re-sign Dalvin Cook

Dalvin Cook’s tenure with the Minnesota Vikings was nothing short of electrifying since his selection in the 2017 NFL Draft. The former Florida State standout swiftly became an integral part of the team’s offense, consistently delivering jaw-dropping performances. However, Vikings fans won’t be witnessing Cook’s explosive plays on the field in the 2023 season.

Cook embarked on a journey to the New York Jets, brimming with enthusiasm to team up with Aaron Rodgers and pursue a Super Bowl victory. However, Cook’s aspirations took an unexpected turn when Rodgers suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in the Jets’ Week 1 clash against the Buffalo Bills. Now, Cook finds himself sharing the backfield with the uber-talented Breece Hall, aiming to keep the Jets in contention for a playoff spot.

One significant factor in the Vikings decision was Cook’s statistics, which, at first glance, might not seem to justify his release. He consistently delivered impressive rushing yardage, recording at least 1,135 rushing yards in each of his past four seasons with the Vikings. However, a closer examination reveals a decline in efficiency over the past three seasons, with his yards per carry average dropping from 5.0 in 2020 to 4.4 in 2022. Considering Cook’s age and the impending financial burden of his contract in 2023, it became evident why the Vikings made the difficult decision to move on from him.

The crux of the issue lay in Cook’s five-year, $62 million extension inked with the Vikings in 2020. The veteran running back was set to earn a staggering $14 million during the 2023 season, which would have ranked him among the league’s highest-paid running backs. While Minnesota expressed interest in retaining Cook, the financial implications were untenable. With Cook’s reluctance to restructure his contract, the Vikings had no choice but to release him, freeing up $9 million in crucial cap space. Despite the $5.1 million in dead cap space allocated to Cook, the Vikings now carry a more economically efficient running back room, one they hold strong faith in as they navigate the upcoming season.