5 Compelling Reasons to Love the Jordan Mason Trade
After a quiet day for the Minnesota Vikings but also in the NFL in general, news dropped on Saturday night about a trade that would send running back Jordan Mason to the Twin Cities. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah just turned around and swapped the sixth-rounder secured in the Ed Ingram trade for a promising player.
5 Compelling Reasons to Love the Jordan Mason Trade
The trade earned the executive some more praise. Here are five reasons why fans should get excited.
1. Perfect Complement
The Vikings extended Aaron Jones’ contract ahead of free agency, giving him a new two-year deal for $20 million. He shined in his first season in Minnesota as a significant upgrade over the starters in the previous two campaigns.
Still, he was banged up a few times, so limiting his carries to keep him fresh and healthy makes sense. The veteran is on the smaller side for an RB1, which means pairing him with a bigger body is a good way to build the running back room.
Mason is listed at 5-11 and 223 pounds. He brings the power to Jones’ quickness. He has shown that he can handle a considerable workload, and if Jones needs a break, Mason will just take over.
The newcomer isn’t a particularly established receiving back, but he can pass block, an area that has been important for the coaching staff. That will alow him to play on third downs, too.
2. Productive Back
In the first two of his three seasons with the 49ers, Mason rushed for 258 and 206 yards with an impressive average of 5.6 yards per carry, scoring four touchdowns.
Last season, during Christian McCaffrey’s lengthy absence, Mason rushed for 100 yards three times and tabulated 685 rushing yards in only eight games without the star in the mix, still averaging 5.1 yards per carry, showing his efficiency remains even with more touches.
3. Advanced Numbers
Now that we’ve established that the total numbers look decent, it’s time to check the advanced statistics because there are some fascinating tools nowadays.
In rushing yards over expected per attempt, Mason ranked third. Is that a legit category? Well, the two guys over him are Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, who were likely the two best backs in the league last year, and both had outstanding seasons. Jones was about average.
Pro Football Focus tracks rushing yards after contact per attempt, and Mason was listed tenth with 3.35 yards.
Another area in which the Vikings struggled was to generate explosive runs. Mason ranked fifth among running backs with at least 100 attempts in the percentage of designed rushes that went for at least 15 yards.
Kyle Shanahan has elevated running backs for over a decade with his outstanding running scheme, but Mason seems to be more than just a scheme beneficiary.
4. Flexibility in the Draft
Mason’s arrival takes the need in the backfield off the board. The Vikings now employ Jones, Mason, and last year’s RB3 Ty Chandler, and Adofo-Mensah can enter the draft without having to force a pick to address the position and find a wingman for Jones.
He has already fixed the interior offensive line and the defensive line and has acquired a couple of cornerbacks to take the immediate need away.
He can still draft one, of course. No team has ever had too many solid running backs, but he isn’t forced to. The 2025 draft class is stacked at the position.
5. More Focus on Running Game
The running game hasn’t been satisfying in years. The crew around Jones in 2024 was an improvement, but there’s still some more work to be done. O’Connell’s ground game ranked 29th in rushing touchdowns and 25th in yards per attempt.
In addition to the signings of former Colts blockers Will Fries and Ryan Kelly, a running back room of Jones and Mason shows a clear priority for the decision-makers. A more balanced attack is needed to fully support first-year passer J.J. McCarthy.
Editorās Note: Information fromĀ PFF,Ā Over The Cap, andĀ Pro Football ReferenceĀ helped with this article.
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