Vikings Fire Off Trade for Playmaker
The Minnesota Vikings have signed nine new players in this free-agency period. In addition to that, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been pretty active on the trade market. His first deal sent guard Ed Ingram to Houston in exchange for Minnesota’s own 2026 6th-rounder that was part of the second Cam Akers trade.
Vikings Fire Off Trade for Playmaker
Funny but true, the pick will be on the move once again, as Adofo-Mensah acquired a different running back this time. Last year’s 49ers breakout player, Jordan Mason, will wear the purple colors in the upcoming season.
Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling reported on Saturday evening, “The Vikings have their backfield complement to Aaron Jones: Source confirms they’re planning to trade for 49ers running back Jordan Mason, and sign him to a new two-year deal with $7 million in guaranteed money.”
He added the trade details: “In their trade with the 49ers for Jordan Mason, the Vikings will send a 2026 6th-round pick to the 49ers, and swap pick No. 160 this year for the 49ers’ pick No. 187.”
MIN gets:
Jordan Mason (RB)
Pick 187 in 2025
SF gets:
Pick 160 in 2025
6th-rounder in 2026
Well, that was a surprising move nobody saw coming. The Vikings re-signed running back Aaron Jones to a two-year contract shortly before free agency. He will make $20 million along the way.
Last year, Jones was acquired to fix the subpar rushing attack. Undoubtedly, he helped make some improvements, but there’s still some more work to be done. The longtime Packer gained 1,500 yards from scrimmage in his first season with his former rival.
He will now form a backfield duo with Mason, a player who experienced his breakout season in 2024 with 789 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. The running back was a popular pickup for fantasy players during Christian McCaffrey’s lengthy absence and he was a decent alternate for San Francisco.
A high ankle sprain ended Mason’s season in Week 13, which makes his numbers even more impressive. Mason added 11 catches for 91 yards as a pass-catcher, but his strength is clearly the running game. Jones, meanwhile, is a do-it-all back with one of the best receiving skill sets of any RB1 in the entire league. Mason is listed at 5-11 and 223 lbs, making him the powerback of the duo.
The deal could be a problem for Ty Chandler, who has been demoted to the RB3 role. If the club acquires another depth runner via free agency or the draft, he would suddenly be the odd man out after starting each of the last two seasons as the RB2.
Selecting an RB in the draft should still be considered an option for the Vikings in one of the most loaded classes at the position in NFL history but it allows the Vikings to pass on the class, increasing the flexibility for the front office.
Mason is only 25, and he will play in the Twin Cities for two seasons.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and 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