Vikings Linked to Free Agent Star Runner
The Minnesota Vikings have solid running backs, but they could use a game-changer for the first time since Dalvin Cook’s departure in the 2023 offseason. They have been linked to draft prospect Jeremiyah Love, but free agent Breece Hall could be that guy, too.
Breece Hall Linked to the Vikings
Unless they snag extensions, 2022 rookies Hall and Kenneth Walker will be the top ball-carriers in free agency. They are still relatively young and have proven to be effective in the league.
Hall desired a trade at the trade deadline when the Jets sold franchise cornerstones Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner. Garrett Wilson and Hall remained. While Wilson signed an extension last offseason, Hall is in the final weeks of his Jets employment.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay assembled a list of five landing spots for the runner, and the Vikings were part of that.
Kay wrote about the potential asking price and the prospects of New York just using the franchise tag:
“Per ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Hall is seeking a deal that pays him in the neighborhood of $10 million to $12 million annually. Spotrac pegs his market value at $10.4 million per year, a number that would rate just inside the top 10 in terms of average annual value at the position. Cimini noted New York’s preference is to retain Hall, highlighting how the organization rebuffed ‘heavy interest’ in him at the trade deadline. The team could ultimately opt to franchise-tag Hall—paying approximately $14 million for the 2026 campaign—although it remains to be seen if that path is palatable for either side.”
Currently, the Vikings are still on the hook for one more season of Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones. They could move on from Jones, though, who is on the wrong side of 30, and injuries have piled up in recent years.
Cutting him would save $7.2 million of cap space, and that could cover most of Hall’s salary.
“The running back spot hasn’t been a glaring issue for the 2025 version of the Vikings, but it hasn’t exactly been a strength for the club, either,” Kay wrote.
Without any doubt, the running game has been better than the passing game, but the balance just hasn’t been there for the most part. Jones missed several games with an injury, which didn’t help.
“With starting back Aaron Jones on the wrong side of 30 and having missed a third of the campaign after starting all 17 contests in 2024, there’s a decent chance Minnesota moves on during the offseason. The team would save over $7 million with the cut and has Jordan Mason is waiting in the wings to help soften the blow. Mason was a notable acquisition for the Vikings on the trade market this past offseason, and the team has received a decent return on its investment. With 659 yards and six scores on 143 carries through 14 games, he has proved himself to be one of the league’s better depth backs.”
Mason was acquired in a trade and immediately received a two-year contract extension. He hasn’t missed a game this season, but was limited in 2024 with the San Francisco 49ers. Those injury concerns could lead to the Hall move, thinks Kay.
“Although Mason has fared well when called upon, he’s logged just 10 starts across his first 59 professional games. He’s also struggled with health when taking on heavier workloads. After a fast start to the 2024 season, he was limited by various injuries and ultimately wound up on the IR for the final five games. That’s not what a team wants to see in a potential lead back, a concern that could lead Minnesota to make a run at a surer option in Hall.”
From an efficiency standpoint, the Vikings rank 23rd in EPA/run, but 5th in success rate. They are 15th in rushing DVOA and 11th in yards per carry. It hasn’t been a bad unit by any means, but the Vikings don’t have anyone who can take over a game like Adrian Peterson and Dalvin Cook did between 2007 and 2022.
“Despite a torn ACL that derailed the back half of an Offensive Rookie of the Year-worthy season, availability has been one of Hall’s strong suits. He returned from that knee injury in rapid fashion and went on appear in all 17 games the following season. He only missed one contest last year and has remained healthy throughout the current campaign. That combination of skill and availability is rare in the modern NFL, making Hall a fantastic choice for the Vikings (or any other RB-needy squad) to target in free agency,” Kay concluded.
Hall was fantastic early in his rookie season, but the torn ACL knocked him out in his seventh outing. He bounced back nicely with nearly 1,600 yards from scrimmage in 2023. Over the past two seasons, he has produced roughly a combined 2,600 yards from scrimmage.
The 24-year-old is an outstanding pass-catcher, which is a must-have skill set in a Kevin O’Connell offense.
With J.J. McCarthy recently showing signs of improvement, the Vikings should continue to take as much pressure off him as possible. By supporting him with a runner with a homerun ability, not every explosive play would have to come through the air.
Hall to Minnesota isn’t unrealistic, but it would take O’Connell’s commitment to feature the running game in 2026 and beyond. Furthermore, the Jets would have to allow him to leave in free agency. In the Twin Cities, Jones would be the first domino to fall if the Vikings indeed want to adjust their top RB duo.
The running back position will be a position to watch for the Minnesota Vikings in March and April.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.