Kevin O’Connell Details Offseason Plan for Vikings’ Running Back Room
After the Super Bowl, all 32 teams have arrived in the offseason. The Vikings have been there for almost a month following their disappointing playoff loss against the Los Angeles Rams, a game that highlighted some apparent weaknesses on the team.
Kevin O’Connell Details Offseason Plan for Vikings’ Running Back Room
The inability to consistently run the ball has been discussed ad nauseam in the last few years. That element of Kevin O’Connell’s offense improved in 2024 with Aaron Jones carrying the load, but there’s still more work to be done.
Jones, however, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, and so is his backup Cam Akers. Ty Chandler and Zavier Scott are currently the only halfbacks on the roster for the 2025 campaign.
During Super Bowl week, O’Connell was asked about the running back room.
The big thing for me is we loved having Aaron Jones; the impact he had. He was really, for the better part of his career, part of backfield committees, and for the most part, Aaron Jones was the featured back, played 17 games, he was able to be durable, over 1,500 yards all-purpose for us, catching the ball out of the backfield, running it at an elite level, so I would love to have Aaron back.
And then I just think we continue to grow in that room, whether it’s infusing a young player in the draft or maybe another player in free agency alongside Aaron Jones, hopefully. I think we will continue to grow in our run game; we’ll continue to grow to being a complete offense, which is very important.
A year ago, Jones was released by the Packers when they realized they could acquire the younger Josh Jacobs. He was excellent for Green Bay, but the Vikings were happy to pick up Jones as their new lead back.
The veteran was a prompt upgrade from Alexander Mattison. After a hot start, Jones suffered a couple of minor injuries that limited him in a few games. It surely doesn’t help that he is on the wrong side of 30.
Still, he was productive, rushing for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns with a solid average of 4.5 yards per carry. One of his strengths is his ability to play on third downs, both as an outstanding pass protector and pass catcher. He caught 51 passes for 408 yards and two touchdowns.
This year’s free agency class can’t match last year’s, which featured Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley. Jones is likely in line to get a one- or two-year deal worth around the annual salary of $7 million he made last season.
Pairing him with another runner makes sense, considering his age and the injury problems he has had in recent history. While he played in all 17 (18 including playoffs) games, he entered various weeks with his status in doubt and missed entire halves of games multiple times.
That RB2 could be found in free agency. Depending on their market, Javonte Williams from the Broncos or Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren could complete one of the better running back duos in the NFL.
However, the draft is likely the better place to find a wingman for Jones and a potential long-term solution. The running back class has been praised for quite some time now as the best in years.
With Ashton Jeanty possibly out of reach, the Vikings could still get their hands on Omarion Hampton, Quinshon Judkins, Kaleb Johnson, or TreVeyon Henderson to have an immediate star in the backfield; snagging one of these guys could require a high pick. Guys like Cam Skettebo, Dylan Sampson, and Ollie Gordon II are expected to fly off the board in the range of Minnesota’s projected third-round compensatory pick.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could also attempt to find an RB on day three of the draft. Just like last year’s class was a good one to need a quarterback, this year’s is perfect for RB-needy teams.
Jones and a rookie will likely form the running back duo in 2025.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt