For the second time this season, former Gopher Max Brosmer replaced McCarthy under center for the Vikings. The first time, he self-destructed in Seattle, tossing four picks and zero touchdowns.

Against New York, Brosmer was much better, completing 7/9 passes for 52 yards — even marching Minnesota’s offense down the field late for a game-winning field goal. On Monday, JJ McCarthy did not practice, making another Max Brosmer start pretty much inevitable.

MN Vikings lose JJ McCarthy to broken hand

On Tuesday, however, it became official. McCarthy is out on Christmas Day against the Detroit Lions, after an MRI revealed that a hairline fracture in his injured hand. In his place again, will be the one-and-done MN Gopher.

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy underwent further imaging that showed a hairline fracture in his throwing hand, coach Kevin O’Connell said. He’s out Thursday against the Lions. pic.twitter.com/f1rOh6byV1

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 23, 2025

Details on McCarthy’s hand injury were murky, entering the week, after initial x-rays in East Rutherford came back negative, but then again, I do not have unlimited resources and technology like the Minnesota Vikings organization does.

However, if McCarthy is indeed done for the season, he’ll have played in just nine games. So far, he’s thrown for 1,450 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions — his completion percentage a ghastly 57.3%.

Kevin O’Connell won’t rule McCarthy out for season yet

After two years in the NFL, McCarthy has played in just 27% of the Vikings regular season games. But not so fast, because KOC isn’t ruling his starting quarterback out for Minnesota’s week 18 finale against the Green Bay Packers just yet…

Kevin O’Connell said there’s a chance J.J. McCarthy could play against the Packers in the season finale. The fracture was “similar to a bone bruise,” O’Connell said. Vikings did further imaging beyond an X-ray and MRI to determine the hairline fracture.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) December 23, 2025

As someone who has experienced a similar hairline fracture, I would be shocked to see him take the field again this season. f course the Vikings have unlimited resources and are dealing with a professional athlete. However,

Ryan Kelly on the mend for Minnesota Vikings

Beyond losing J.J. McCarthy, the MN Vikings also saw Ryan Kelly exit against the Giants with his third concussion of the season. After Kelly spent time on injured reserve earlier this year with two previous concussions, it’s no surprise to see that he won’t play on Thursday either.

Kelly has worn a Guardian Cap since suffering his latest concussion. Unfortunately, that didn’t keep him from having another one. Kelly — who is just 32 years old — has at least six documented concussions on his NFL resume. He is still under contract for one more season.

O’Connell also provided an update on running back Jordan Mason. The power back left Week 16 with an ankle injury and was unable to return. If he remains out on Thursday, it will be Aaron Jones, Zavier Scott, and the potential return of Ty Chandler at running back for Minnesota.

Ryan Kelly won’t play on Thursday, Kevin O’Connell said. Jordan Mason is “still feeling it” after his ankle injury on Sunday, but O’Connell wasn’t ready to roll him out for Thursday.

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) December 23, 2025

This offseason the Vikings decided to run it back with Jones. That may be a risky move given his age and injury history. They hedged their bet by acquiring Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers.

The two will form a one-two punch, and Mason could conceivably be the front end of it.

Jordan Mason to lead the Minnesota Vikings backfield

Last season Aaron Jones was healthy and played all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings. He’ll be 31 years old this season and banking on that reality to replicate itself is not a good bet. ESPN’s Dan Graziano doesn’t believe he’ll be the bell cow though.

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.

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. 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.

ESPN

Last season Jones turned his 17 games of action into a career-best 1,138 rushing yards. He found pay dirt five times on the ground, and score twice on passes. He will again be an integral part of the offense.

If the Minnesota Vikings want to maximize Jones though, the goal should be to keep him fresh. Although he was active for every game last year, there were more than a few maladies he had to overcome. That’s part of the game but it doesn’t necessarily foster future success.

New Vikings RB Jordan Mason against the Vikes last season: 20 carries, 100 yards, 1 TD pic.twitter.com/BOhi1M26Y8

— SleeperVikings (@SleeperVikings) March 16, 2025

Mason has played plenty on his own filling in for the oft-injured Christian McCaffrey. Last season in just 12 games (six starts), Mason turned 153 carries into 789 yards and three touchdowns. He should see that sort of opportunity, or more in Minnesota this season.

Related: MN Vikings Were Sniffing Around Another WR

Both Jones and Mason are talented. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will rely on each of them to contribute. Regardless of how paces the backfield, it’s hard not to feel good about the position as whole.

Although Adam Thielen is back for the Minnesota Vikings, the passing game will be without Jordan Addison (and potentially Jalen Nailor) for a bit. That could force Kevin O’Connell to lean into his running game. If he does, they’ll be ready.

Now with Darnold in Seattle and McCarthy as the signal caller, the expectations for Minnesota have changed. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah constructed a roster intent on winning now, and the hope would be that the Vikings can achieve just that.

With a young quarterback it should be expected that there will be bumps in the road. Hopefully they are minor though, and O’Connell can build on the success he led last season. The swing in potential outcomes could be massive.

A season of potential outcomes for MN Vikings

It’s beyond plausible that the Minnesota Vikings win less games than last season and have a better team. 14 wins doesn’t leave much room for growth, but a division title may not require that either. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert took a stab at the floor (6-11) and ceiling (11-6) for the 2025 season.

Is Kevin O’Connell serious about the run game? The Vikings coach took a step toward balancing his offense in 2024 from its pass-happy ways in 2022-23, but the ascendance of first-time starter J.J. McCarthy will necessitate a bigger shift. The Vikings will also need to run more effectively after ranking 25th in the NFL last season in EPA on running plays. There is good reason to think they can, after pairing Jordan Mason with Aaron Jones Sr. in the backfield and acquiring three new starters on the line. McCarthy continued to develop during training camp, but counting on him to be a 4,000-yard passer in his first season seems unrealistic.

Kevin Seifert – ESPN

What J.J. McCarthy looks like in his first season under center largely will be a reflection of those around him. O’Connell already proved an ability to get more from a quarterback last season (and those prior). McCarthy also steps into an offense ripe with playmakers and the best line we’ve seen in years.

What McCarthy thrived on with Michigan was an ability to utilize a strong running game. How good Minnesota’s can be is something Seifert pointed out as an x-factor.

Last year Aaron Jones put up a career-best 1,138 across a healthy 17 games. He will be 31 this season, and the body isn’t taking any less damage. In part, that’s why Jordan Mason was acquired this offseason. The tandem needs to be high-producing in order to lessen McCarthy’s load.

Related: MN Vikings QB Battle Heating Up – Max Brosmer Uncuttable, Sam Howell in Trouble…?

One aspect of the running game that could be problematic is depth. Ty Chandler has only fallen down the depth chart as time has gone on with Minnesota. If he’s not the answer, or cut, then bringing someone else in to supplement the top two makes a good deal of sense.

Are MN Vikings a contender in the North?

Last season 14 wins didn’t take the division because the Detroit Lions finished going 15-2. It seems unlikely that 11 wins would be enough to get the job done this time around, but it’s possible the group cannibalizes each other a bit.

The Vikings have one of the most talented rosters in football, and their front seven is being called the best in the sport. That still has to translate to wins on the field, and how they accomplish that could be a week-by-week thing.

Related: Patriots Head Coach Taking Joint Practices vs Vikings VERY Seriously

Realistically it seems more plausible that the Vikings win 11 games than them losing that many. We’ll start to find out how things look when Minnesota travels to Chicago in Week 1 against the Bears.

Last season Sam Darnold was inserted as the starter and Kevin O’Connell positioned him with offensive talent to reel off 14 wins. It got Darnold paid by the Seattle Seahawks, and it’s why there should be a substantial level of optimism for McCarthy’s success as well.

Despite the level of talent on the offensive side of the ball for Minnesota, one insider is willing to argue against them being a top five unit.

Bill Barnwell stops short on MN Vikings offensive weapons

Few NFL insiders are more well-known than ESPN’s Bill Barnwell. He published a ranking of all 32 NFL teams based solely on their offensive weapons. That is, the wide receivers, running backs, and tight ends. Barnwell outlined the process as a valuation of 2025 performance, taking into account injury and suspension history, as well as weighting wide receivers the heaviest.

The Minnesota Vikings landed sixth, one spot behind where Barnwell had them last season.

“A true superstar receiver goes a long way, as Justin Jefferson is one of the two best wideouts in the game alongside Ja’Marr Chase. The Vikings star combines elite volume with efficiency (2.6 yards per route run), and while he benefits from a coach in Kevin O’Connell who does a great job of creating opportunities and space, Jefferson hasn’t exactly had Joe Burrow at quarterback in Minnesota. Jefferson is a Hall of Fame-caliber talent and 26 years old.

The players around him might not be as sturdy as they seemed a year ago. Jordan Addison averaged 1.8 yards per route run in his second season, but there’s a distinct possibility the 23-year-old will be suspended for part of the 2025 season after he’s tried on DUI charges this month. T.J. Hockenson is healthy after missing part of the 2024 season while recovering from a torn ACL, but the former Lions first-rounder didn’t score a touchdown and saw his efficiency retreat to where it had been with Detroit (1.7 YPRR) versus where it stood in Minnesota before the injury in 2023 (2.0).

Aaron Jones Sr. racked up 1,546 yards from scrimmage in his debut season with the Vikings, but he wasn’t great near the goal line and fumbled five times, including a midseason stretch with four fumbles across seven quarters. The Vikings have suggested they want to ease the burden on Jones by giving meaningful work to Jordan Mason, who was acquired from the 49ers this offseason. Mason was wildly efficient in San Francisco, but that team is running back heaven, and he also fumbled three times on 164 touches in 2024. I’d expect this offense to keep humming, but a lot of the players around Jefferson have something to prove.”

Bill Barnwell – ESPN

Barwell does do a great job of outlining where he thinks the Vikings have warts. It’s fair to be concerned about Jordan Addison’s possible suspension, and Minnesota doesn’t have a great upside play at WR3 unless Tai Felton or someone else overtakes Jalen Nailor.

It’s also fair to criticize Hockenson for his slide, or be leary of Aaron Jones repeating his yardage performance last season. That said, those two may benefit most from a young quarterback behind a revamped offensive line, and the addition of Jordan Mason lessening the load.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Latest Valuation is Astonishing

In total, with the weight applied to Jefferson and room for growth from Addison, Hockenson, and Mason, the Vikings being outside the top five seems like a stretch.

Who has better playmakers than the Minnesota Vikings?

While it’s an issue for me to see the MN Vikings outside of the top five, it’s more peculiar when looking at which teams are ahead of them. I have now qualms about the Philadelphia Eagles being number one. Los Angeles (5), San Francisco (4), Cincinnati (3), and Detroit (2) all seem arguable though.

The Rams do not have the tight end strength that Hockenson and Josh Oliver represent. Brandon Aiyuk doesn’t clear Addison as a top threat and Christian McCaffrey is always hurt. Cincinnati doesn’t have the running back room or tight end talent. Detroit put up points in bunches last season, but still need to substantiate that it’s real without Ben Johnson pulling the strings.

Related: Minnesota Vikings GOAT Healthy and Coming Back

Of course there’s a certain level of homerism when it comes to the pushback, but Minnesota’s talent on paper is as good or better than all of those teams. At the end of the day they still possess an elite group of playmakers. Kevin O’Connell should have plenty of ability to let them work with a new offensive line that will give McCarthy a chance.

Revisiting these rankings after the season, and seeing where the Minnesota Vikings check in next year, will be worth keeping tabs on.

However, by the time the weekend was done, the Vikings emerged with five new draftees, instead of the expected four. They even swung a trade for a new backup quarterback. After it all, who are the Vikings’ three biggest winners and losers from the NFL Draft?

Related: 2025 Minnesota Vikings Draft Class is Complete

2025 Minnesota Vikings Draft Day Loser: Blake Brandel

The biggest loser from the Vikings’ draft class is clearly Blake Brandel. Before the draft kicked off, the former sixth-round pick was in line to reclaim his role as the starting left guard. Now? After selecting Donovan Jackson with the 24th overall pick, Brandel is expected to return to a backup role in 2025.

That doesn’t mean he won’t or can’t make an impact on the upcoming season. Not only can he go back to the role he thrived in, which is playing swing OL whenever called upon, but the Minnesota Vikings will need him to push Jackson in camp.

Related: NFL Draft Experts Drool Over New MN Viking, Donovan Jackson

And at the end of the day, there’s no guarantee Donovan Jackson is NFL-ready, right from the get-go. As a first-round pick, that may be the expectation. But expectations do not always align with reality. It won’t take long for the Vikings to realize what they have in their new left guard.

When that time comes, Brandel’s future role in purple will be more clear. Without a doubt, however, it’s clear that Brandel’s job is considerably more in jeopardy today than it was on Thursday afternoon.

Loser: Brett Rypien

Like Brandel, Brett Rypien was set for a more featured role this season, as J.J. McCarthy’s backup quarterback. That’s an upgrade from last season when he became the QB3 as rosters were being finalized. Yet, once again, Rypien is set to become the team’s No. 3 quarterback following the trade for Sam Howell.

While Rypien, 28, may be disappointed in his QB3 role, we all knew the Vikings were going to add another quarterback before the season started. Here’s the thing, though… in a matter of minutes on Saturday, Rypien may have dropped from QB2, all the way down to QB4.

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t just add one rookie quarterback this weekend, they also made former Minnesota Gophers quarterback Max Brosmer a priority undrafted free agent signing, even guaranteeing him $250,000 to seal the deal.

Related: Max Brosmer is Staying in Minnesota

Vikings fans out there who double as Gopher football fans, know… Max Brosmer is not going to give up his purple jersey without a fight. So with all the young talent in the Vikings new QB room, it’s very plausible Rypien could once again find himself on the outside looking in, when final training camp cuts are made, come August.

Loser: Jalen Nailor

Jalen Nailor is headed into the final year of his contract, and the Vikings may not be able to afford a second contract for the speedster. Yet, by adding Tai Felton, the Vikings get a new potential long-term WR3, and like Nailor, he’s quick.

Felton clocked a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and the Vikings believe he can be their next playmaker who helps take attention away from Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson. The Vikings also added five undrafted free agent receivers, showing how eager they are to find another pass-catcher who can contribute on a weekly basis.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Swing Trade and Draft New Wide Receiver

2025 MN Vikings Draft Day Winner: Jordan Mason

When the offseason kicked off, running back was listed as one of the Minnesota Vikings’ biggest needs. Re-signing Aaron Jones and trading for Jordan Mason — who went for 789 rushing yards (3 TD) and 164 receiving yards with the Niners last season — has KOC & Co feeling comfortable with their backfield entering the 2025 season.

But that wasn’t clear heading into the draft. Given their interest in running backs throughout the scouting process, RB still felt like a position the Vikings would target with one of their four draft picks, even if they waited until the later rounds. At the end of the day, this draft class just had too much running back talent to just pass up, right?

Related: Minnesota Vikings Have Big Plans for Jordan Mason

Then, seven rounds went by without the Vikings selecting anyone with an “RB” in front of their name. Now, barring any unforeseen additions between now and week one, it appears this team’s backfield work in 2025 will be divvied up between mostly Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, with some Ty Chandler sprinkled in.

With Jones’ now 30, Mason will get every opportunity to prove he can be a future starter.

Winner: Christian Darrisaw

How is Christian Darrisaw a winner? No one was ever coming for the former first-round pick’s starting spot. However, the Minnesota Vikings hope his life at left tackle just got a whole lot easier, with the addition of No. 24 overall, Donovan Jackson, who’s expected to slot in right next to Darrisaw at left guard.

Since he took over as the starter in 2021, Darrisaw has dealt with a turnstile of bad to mediocre guards to help him protect the left side of the MN Vikings offensive line. If Jackson is what the Vikings believe, he should be able to take the starting left guard spot away from the aforementioned Blake Brandel pretty quickly.

Related: Christian Darrisaw Blown Away by How Good Dallas Turner is Already

As long as the next three months play out on the practice and preseason fields, like they do right now on paper, then Christian Darrisaw’s life just got a whole lot easier, and that’s before you factor in the improvement at center (Ryan Kelly) and right guard (Will Fries).

Ideally, not only will Darrisaw be able to focus on sealing the edge — without having to worry as much about making sure Brandel is handling his assignment too — but he can also take his time getting healthy, after season-ending knee surgery in 2024.

If he can’t return immediately in 2025, Jackson played an impressive left tackle last season at Ohio State. And when he does return, he won’t be pulling double duty (hopefully).

Winner: J.J. McCarthy

There’s no bigger winner in the NFL Draft than J.J. McCarthy, who now has an even more reinforced offensive line, plus a new weapon to work with thanks to the Vikings’ first two picks.

Instead of trying to find more pieces for Brian Flores’ defense, the Vikings opted to do everything in their power to make sure their year-old QB had everything he needed to succeed in his first season as a starter.

Related: All 20 Minnesota Vikings Undrafted Free Agents

Instead of picking a running back, receiver, or tight end first, the Vikings made a move that they hope will give McCarthy more time to make his reads while protecting him in the pocket.

Ultimately, the Vikings may have very well made the best decision to help their young leader thrive, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how QB-friendly Kevin O’Connell’s system has become.

That’s why, in 2024, the pass-happy play-caller made an intentional effort to hand the ball off far more often. It started with the signing of former NFL North rival, Aaron Jones, who responded with a career high 255 carries and 1,138 rushing yards to go with 5 touchdowns.

Between 2023 and 2024, the Vikings offense jumped 14 spots in team rush attempts, from 28th (393) all the way to 14th (457). They also jumped 10 spots in team rushing yards, from 29th (1,553) in 2023 to 19th (1,855) in 2024.

But that isn’t good enough. This offseason, the MN Vikings have doubled down on their dedication to the run game, not only with their rhetoric, but in their actions as well. It started in early March, with a contract extension for Aaron Jones worth a similar cap hit ($7 million) to what he came with in year one wearing purple.

Minnesota Vikings doubling down on commitment to run game

About a week later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surprised the league when he swung a trade with the San Francisco 49ers, sending a 2026 6th round pick out West (along with a 6th round pick swap in 2025) in return for Niners RB2, Jordan Mason, who the Vikings really like as their short yardage back.

Related: O’Connell Hints at Major Changes to Minnesota Vikings Offense in 2025

But that’s not the only role they like their new running back for. On paper, Aaron Jones is this team’s RB1. His new contract says as much. But when games start being played in September, O’Connell’s running back blueprint for 2025 calls for the split between Jones and Mason to be much closer to 1A/1B situation.

The Vikings have Jones penciled in as their starting running back. They paid Jones more to return ($20 million over two seasons) than they did to acquire Mason from the 49ers and pay their new backup. By all accounts, however, Mason isn’t going to be a typical backup —“When [Aaron Jones] has historically had that 1A/1B backfield structure, he can be a total game-changer every time he touches the ball,” O’Connell said.

Mason will spell Jones for some series, but O’Connell left little doubt about some additional roles he foresees, including some areas where the Vikings have been particularly weak over time — “I do think Jordan’s going to bring something to the table in those short-yardage situations…where we’ve really left a lot to be desired as a football team.”

Is Jordan Mason really this good?

The Vikings believe Jordan Mason — who’s entering his fourth season out of Georgia Tech — is ready for a more expanded role than what he had in San Francisco, as Christian McCaffrey’s backup. Last year, Mason took advantage of the opportunity presented to him by McCaffrey’s injury, rushing for a total of 789 yards and 3 touchdowns (5.2 YPC) in 12 games (6 starts).

If the Vikings are right about the soon-to-be 26-year-old Mason, his addition should allow Aaron Jones more rest and recovery in 2025. That, in theory, should lead to even better results out of the 30-year-old Jones than his first very successful season in purple.

it’s been awhile since the Vikings had a big, dynamic running back like Jordan Mason pic.twitter.com/sPByNoGYgO

— Krauser (@Krauserrific) March 16, 2025

With all of that focus on the backfield, prior to the opening bell ringing on free agency, the Minnesota Vikings once again proved their dedication to improving the run game by signing former Colts center, Ryan Kelly on day two of the NFL negotiating period.

MN Vikings beefing up offensive line too

The 32-year-old 4X Pro Bowl mauler then turned around and convinced one of the best free agent guards on the market, 27-year-old Will Fries, to do the same thing. He agreed to terms on a 5-year deal the next day. And just like that, the Vikings offense looks ready to run the football in a way we have not seen since KOC took over.

Related: Vikings Getting Cocky About Their Medical Staff

This change in philosophy aligns perfectly with the introduction of JJ McCarthy as starting quarterback. Not only is JJ a redshirt rookie, but the big hit on him coming out of Michigan was that he starred in a run-first offense that relied much more on his 3rd down acumen than his ability to throw in bulk.

Thus, it makes even more sense for the Minnesota Vikings to turn more to the run game, in order to make McCarthy feel more comfortable in his first games under center. Of course, all of this sounds great in theory. But we have a lot of months between now and when 2025 regular season games are played.

With those out of the way, the Vikings have the cap room to add at skill positions. They were rumored to be interested in Cooper Kupp before he signed with the Seahawks. They still need another QB or two (Aaron Rodgers?) on the roster, but in the meantime, they gave Aaron Jones some help in the backfield.

Minnesota Vikings trade for Jordan Mason

The Vikings acquired Jordan Mason from the 49ers on Saturday night, sending a 2026 sixth round pick in return. They also swapped this year’s picks, moving down to pick No. 187 while sending San Francisco No. 160. Kwesi and co. traded Ed Ingram for a sixth round pick earlier this week, so they basically flipped Ingram for Mason.

The Vikings extended Mason upon acquiring him, signing him to a two-year deal worth up to $12 million with $7 million guaranteed. The 49ers gave Mason a $5.3 million second-round tender, so all signs pointed to him backing up Christian McCaffrey for another year. Instead, the Vikings pick up a solid backup for Jones, who they just re-signed to a two-year extension.

Full trade, per sources:

🏈Minnesota sends a 2026 6th-round pick and pick No. 160 this year to San Francisco.

🏈San Francisco sends RB Jordan Mason and pick No. 187 to Minnesota. https://t.co/96ajBj9BiB pic.twitter.com/bRj7U5f1z7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2025

Jordan Mason has been in the league since 2022, joining the Niners as an undrafted free agent. He broke out last season while McCaffrey was down with an Achilles injury, starting the year as the lead running back. The 25-year-old got his first career start in Week 1 and capitalized, running for 147 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up with another 100-yard performance a week later (against the Minnesota Vikings) and then another in Week 4.

Related: Former Vikings DT Finds Job in AFC West

While he made the most of his opportunities, injuries and CMC’s return slowed Mason’s career season. He suffered an AC joint sprain in his shoulder in Week 6 and re-aggravated it in Week 8. His usage went down after this, as McCaffrey was back and the 49ers did not want to risk more injuries to their backfield. Mason’s season ended after suffering a high ankle sprain in Week 13, placing him on IR.

Before last year, Mason was used sparingly as the Niners’ backup. Most of his work came on special teams, but he did average 6.0 and 5.2 yards per carry in 2022 and 2023, respectively. He rushed for over 2,000 yards in his four years at Georgia Tech.

Jordan Mason: Good at football pic.twitter.com/m1jU5Dss3C

— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) March 16, 2025

How Jordan Mason fits into the fold

With the signing of Mason, the Minnesota Vikings now have him, Cam Akers and Ty Chandler to spell Aaron Jones. It seems like something Cam Akers could certainly be the odd man out here however. The 30-year-old Jones is coming off a year with career highs in carries (255) and snaps (700), so the Vikings figure to have plenty of options to give him rest. Mason’s injury history might be concerning, but adding him as a depth piece could be useful. He led the league in rushing yards for a portion of last season.

Related: Vikings Signing Very Familiar Free Agent Linebacker

The signings of Ryan Kelly and Will Fries also give Mason (and Jones) a bolstered offensive line to run behind. The Vikings weren’t the best when it came to running the ball, but with a young QB projected to start, an offensive shift may be in the works.