Once again, it’s a debate on who will be the lead back for the Vikings this season between Mason and Jones. Jones sits atop the depth chart, but will the 31-year-old actually be the RB1 over the 27-year-old Mason heading into the regular season? First off, let’s look at how these backs were used and performed last season.
Last Season
Jones has always been one of the most efficient rushers in the league during his career, but he slowed down in his ninth season in 2025, averaging a career-worst 4.2 YPC. Mason was more effective at 4.8 YPC, but this was also a career-low for the 27-year-old.
Despite Mason being more productive on the ground, Jones held an edge in rushing usage. In the 11 games these two backs played together, Jones out carried Mason 105-85. However, Mason was trusted more in the red zone, outcarrying Jones 15-10 in that area. As a result, Mason rushed for six touchdowns while Jones only found the paydirt twice with his legs.
In the passing game, Jones was the unquestioned primary receiving back over Mason. Jones saw 33 targets on 175 routes, whereas Mason only saw eight targets on 65 routes. Overall, Jones outsnapped Mason 331-207.
As you can see, when both these backs were healthy last season, Jones was the lead back in every department, outside of red zone rushing, but will this continue this season?
Week 1 Outlook
After being the lead back last season, Jones drew the start in the lone preseason game that he and Mason both were active for this summer. That being said, these two backs usage was nearly identical. Jones saw three carries and one target on five snaps while Mason saw three carries on four snaps.
Albeit a preseason game, this may be an indicator that Jones and Mason are going to split the rushing workload pretty evenly this season, which makes sense, after Mason was the more productive rusher a year ago.
If Mason will see more carries, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t retain his role as the primary rusher in the red zone, giving him more touchdown equity over Jones.
Although, Jones should continue to be the main pass catching back for this offense, given the major difference in their receiving usage last season and simply because Jones has always been a reliable pass catcher throughout his career, compared to Mason, who has never done much in this department.
This should once again be a two-man backfield with positive game scripts favoring Mason and negative game scripts favoring Jones.
For next Sunday’s regular season opener vs. the Packers, the Vikings are a 1.5-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. This is an optimal setup for Mason to produce. Minnesota will likely want to rely on their run game if they get ahead and while it likely won’t be by much, Mason should finish this game with more touches, even if Jones technically gets the start.
Make no mistake, though, this backfield will be tough to predict on a weekly basis when both Mason and Jones are healthy, and even if Mason begins 2026 with a better performance in Week 1, that doesn’t mean he is the Vikings’ RB1 for the season.
