Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason

Monday, April 7, 12:27 PM

The Minnesota Vikings have running back Aaron Jones penciled in as their starting RB again in 2025 after paying him more to return ($20 million over two seasons). However, ESPN's Kevin Seifert writes that new RB Jordan Mason isn't going to be a typical backup after they acquired him in a trade from the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Kevin O'Connell has been very clear that he wants to pull back on Jones' usage after he set career-highs in snaps (700), rushing attempts (255) and total touches (306) in 2024. "When he has historically had that 1A/1B backfield structure, he can be a total game-changer every time he touches the ball," O'Connell said. "So it was always about bringing Aaron back ... but what are we going to pair him with?" It's obviously bad news for Jones' chances of an RB1 finish in fantasy in 2025, with Mason expected to be used in short-yardage and goal-line situations for the Vikes.

Thursday, July 31, 11:10 AM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason looks explosive and "built" in training camp, according to Sean Borman of Vikings Territory. A free-agent addition by Minnesota this past offseason, Mason logged 153 carries for 789 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2024. He's expected to work in a timeshare with veteran Aaron Jones in the Vikings' backfield in 2025. Mason has historically struggled as a pass-catcher (14 career receptions), but he's been a highly efficient rusher (5.3 rushing yards per attempt on 236 career carries). That could make him the ideal complement for the 30-year-old Jones, who is an excellent receiver out of the backfield but may not be able to handle a large workload as a rusher at this point in his career.