Who Should I Start? Aaron Jones or Kaleb Johnson

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, April 30, 1:36 PM

The Athletic's Mike DeFabo lists Pittsburgh Steelers rookie third-round running back Kaleb Johnson as a co-starter with Jaylen Warren in an early look at the team's positional battles this offseason. Johnson, who stands at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, is a physical back that is built to carry the load. It remains to be seen how the Steelers will divvy up the touches in their backfield in 2025, but it's widely believed that Johnson was taken with the 83rd overall pick to essentially replace Najee Harris, who signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. The 21-year-old had 240 carries for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns for Iowa in 2024 and also caught 22 passes for 188 yards and two more TDs. Warren starred in a third-down role for Pittsburgh his first three years and will take valuable touches away from Johnson in his rookie campaign, even if Johnson is the go-to guy on early downs.