Vikings’ Trade for $10.5 Million Breakout Player ‘Most Underrated’ Move of Offseason

The Minnesota Vikings made a handful of major moves this offseason, mostly in free agency, though it is a trade that could ultimately prove the most impactful.

Alec Lewis of The Athletic asserted on Wednesday, July 2, that the addition of former San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason is Minnesota’s “most underrated” deal of the offseason to date.

“For my money, this is the most underrated Vikings move of the offseason,” Lewis said. “He benefited from the San Francisco 49ers’ run-game infrastructure, but there is something about his vision that seems different. Plus, he’s massive.”

Vikings Running Back Aaron Jones Re-Signed With Team This Summer

Getty| Running back Aaron Jones of the Minnesota Vikings.

Mason is entering his fourth season in the NFL after the Niners picked him up as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

He put up a career campaign in San Francisco last season, appearing in 12 games and earning six starts as Christian McCaffrey battled injury. Mason finished the year with 789 rushing yards and three rushing TDs along with 11 receptions for 91 receiving yards.

The Vikings sent the 49ers a sixth-round pick and swapped a fifth-rounder for a sixth-rounder in return for Mason, who enters the locker room as the likely No. 2 running back behind starter Aaron Jones.

Minnesota re-signed Jones to a two-year deal worth $20 million earlier this offseason. Mason is also under contract for the next two seasons at a price of $10.5 million total.

Jones came over from the Green Bay Packers last season on a one-year agreement and proved a seamless fit both on the field and in the locker room. He battled through a couple of minor injuries but finished the year with 1,138 rushing yards and five rushing TDs along with 51 receptions for 408 receiving yards and two scores.

Jordan Mason Impressed Vikings in Matchup Last Season

Getty| Former San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason.

Despite his success, Jones has dealt with injuries over the past few seasons and will turn 31 years old later in December. The Vikings will do well to provide him with a level of load management, which is where Mason comes in.

The two should make for a strong duo in an otherwise high-end offense, the primary weakness of which could prove to be the quarterback position, with second-year player J.J. McCarthy presumably making the first start of his career in Week 1 and Sam Howell entering training camp as his backup.

Mason started against the Vikings in Week 2 of last season in place of the injured McCaffrey, which Lewis suggested may have played a role in Minnesota’s decision to pursue him when he became available this spring.

“He ran for 100 yards on 20 carries, pressing the edge constantly, then hop-stepping his way into cuts in ways that had the Vikings players and staff raving about the performance afterward in the locker room,” Lewis wrote on June 2. “The Vikings didn’t need to spend meaningful resources on another running back. … If Mason, then a restricted free agent, had not surfaced as a possible option, the Vikings would’ve likely prioritized a late-round running back.”