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.

Wednesday, June 4, 12:51 PM

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Mason (ankle) is taking part in voluntary organized team activities this offseason. Mason missed the last five games of the 2024 season due to a high-ankle sprain, but he's back on the field in early June and should be completely healthy and ready to go for Week 1 in his first season with Minnesota. The 26-year-old had a breakout season with Christian McCaffrey missing most of the year with injuries, as he finished with 153 carries for 789 yards and three touchdowns while adding 11 catches for 91 yards in 12 games (six starts). Mason isn't going to have the kind of workload he did in San Fran with CMC injured, but the Vikings want to spell starter Aaron Jones more to keep him fresh, which is where Mason comes in. RB3/flex value seems plausible, especially if Mason is the Vikes' preferred goal-line option.