Alexander Mattison Confronted with Crushing News
The preseason is the time for running backs to show their skills. In training camp, the lack of contact doesn’t fully reveal their potential (or struggles). Minnesota’s Zavier Scott was a breakout player for the Vikings in the first preseason game. For Alexander Mattison, a former Vikings running back, that preseason experience turned into a disaster.
Alexander Mattison Confronted with Crushing News
Drafted in 2019, Mattison spent his first five seasons with the purple squad. He was axed in the 2024 offseason to make room for Aaron Jones.
On Monday, news broke about him undergoing season-ending surgery. Adam Schefter reported, “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.”
Mattison signed with the Miami Dolphins in free agency. The immediate reaction was, “That’s a strange fit,” as Miami’s offense is usually built around the fastest playmakers on the planet, but that extra gear has never been in Mattison’s arsenal.
Still, the runner turned some heads in training camp. Miami Dolphins writer Travis Wingfield reported from camp: “Alexander Mattison is having the type of camp that is impossible to ignore. It’s not live and it’s tough to see the full complement of a back in this setting, but the way he’s seeing it and hitting it at full speed translates. He’s got another chunk winding one back at full acceleration. He looks to be a find by this Dolphins staff.”
Sure, it’s hard to evaluate running backs in camp, but looking good next to Miami’s track stars isn’t that easy to do either way, especially without the real-game contact.
In the preseason game that ended in a tie, Mattison rushed three times for eight yards and a touchdown. He added one catch for 21 yards and was on pace to secure goalline and short-yardage work behind top runner De’Von Achane, who’s on the smaller side for a running back.
The Dolphins could now turn to rookie Ollie Gordon, a talented sixth-rounder, who is, like Mattison, a powerful runner, and they worked out Jamaal Williams, who led the league in rushing touchdowns in 2022. Miami clearly wants one bigger back in that room. Jaylen Wright, a 2024 rookie, is also in the mix, and he showed some burst in his debut season. He is, however, another speedster.
Mattison was a 2019 third-rounder. He was added as the bigger complement to Dalvin Cook after a productive career at Boise State. In his first three seasons under Mike Zimmer, Mattison consistently recorded between 400 and 500 rushing yards each year. Fantasy footballers know that Mattison was gold when Cook missed a game or two each year.
With Kevin O’Connell’s arrival, Mattison’s role dipped a little in year one, but he was promoted to lead back in 2023, resulting in 700 rushing yards but zero touchdowns. Ultimately, the Vikings wanted more production out of that group and parted ways with their veteran. Last year, the runner was part of an underwhelming running back group in Las Vegas, and he returned to his usual numbers of 420 yards and four touchdowns.
Throughout his career, Mattison has been a solid backup RB2, but he couldn’t quite be a focal runner. Considering he was entering his seventh season, there’s undoubtedly a place for that kind of player in the NFL.
The Vikings also suffered some heartbreaking injury news in their preseason game against the Houston Texans. Center Zeke Correll, an undrafted rookie, fractured his ankle. Undrafted rookies are already fighting against the odds, and his odds certainly didn’t improve.
Wide receiver Rondale Moore sustained another “significant knee injury,” to quote his head coach. Moore logged the first touch since the 2023 season, as he missed all of last season with another knee injury.
The preseason is a chance for players to earn jobs, but it’s also a big risk. For Mattison, Correll, and Moore, that risk didn’t pay off.
In six years, Mattison recorded 2,790 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, as well as another 1,012 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He has never missed more than three games in a season.
Mattison turned 27 in June.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.