The Minnesota Vikings are missing Jordan Mason from the lineup for at least two more games, and sometimes, an injury like his, a broken thumb, can take longer than a month to heal. Meanwhile, tailback Aaron Jones keeps getting beat up each Sunday, prompting some fans to wonder whether Minnesota will trade for a running back.
Equipped with a fresh 5th-round draft pick from Monday’s J.J. McCarthy trade, here’s who’s available.
Disclaimer: these players aren’t necessarily a one-for-one swap for a 5th-rounder, but the trade could center around that draft pick.
Seven RBs Worth a Phone Call
1. Tyler Allgeier | ARI
Allgeier is the bruiser option on the list. He owns a 1,000-yard season and 18 career rushing touchdowns, bringing the type of downhill style the Vikings lost when Mason went on injured reserve.
Arizona also has Jeremiyah Love in the backfield after spending the third overall pick on him, although Allgeier might technically currently sit atop the Cardinals’ depth chart.
The Cardinals aren’t treating Allgeier like spare inventory right now, so a lone 2027 5th-rounder probably wouldn’t get this done automatically. But that franchise has invested heavily at running back. If Love eventually takes over, the Vikings could at least make the phone call.
2. Kenneth Gainwell | TB
The Vikings just saw Gainwell up close, although he didn’t accomplish much on the ground. He carried three times for minus-4 yards Sunday and now has 10 attempts for 21 yards through Tampa Bay’s 0-3 start. He’s coming off a much better 2025 campaign in Pittsburgh, where he rushed for 537 yards at 4.7 yards per carry.
Gainwell would give Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell another veteran who can handle carries and catch the football without requiring the offense to change much.
Tampa Bay’s 0-3 start could also make veterans more available as the deadline approaches in a month. A late-round pick feels much more realistic here than it would for some names on this list.
3. Tony Pollard | TEN
Pollard is the established option. He topped 1,000 rushing yards in both 2024 and 2025 for Tennessee after doing it twice in Dallas, and the Titans still list him ahead of Spears. Pollard entered 2026 averaging 4.6 yards per carry for his career. He’s proven he can handle a large role if the Vikings want something more than temporary depth.
Tennessee’s 0-3 start makes this one worth watching. Pollard is also 29, so a rebuilding club could eventually prefer draft capital over keeping an older back through another losing season. He’d immediately give the Vikes another legitimate starting-caliber option.
4. Tyjae Spears | TEN
If Pollard costs too much, Spears might be the more intriguing call. He has 58 rushing yards on 13 carries this season, good for 4.5 yards per attempt. He’s also caught four passes for 41 yards. His receiving background is especially practical: Spears already has 131 career receptions despite never serving as Tennessee’s full-time RB1.
Tennessee also drafted Nicholas Singleton in April. That creates a crowded room for an 0-3 team with plenty of other roster concerns. Spears would bring more burst than the Vikings currently have behind Jones, plus legitimate passing-game value.
A 2027 5th-rounder for a player entering the final year of his rookie deal is at least worth exploring. Minnesota could probably get a 7th-rounder back, too, with Spears.
5. Tyrone Tracy | NYG
This would be wonderfully circular. The Giants just sent the pick for McCarthy. Perhaps general manager Nolan Teasley can call back and ask whether New York wants its pick returned for Tracy.
The third-year back has barely played in 2026, logging only three carries for 17 yards through three games. Cam Skattebo owns the top job, while Najee Harris may have moved ahead of Tracy on the updated depth chart. New York also still has Devin Singletary.
Tracy rushed for 839 yards as a rookie and another 740 last season, so the ability isn’t theoretical. The question is: why didn’t the Giants include Tracy in the McCarthy trade if the Vikings wanted him? Perhaps this ship has sailed.
6. Kimani Vidal | LAC
Vidal is buried in Los Angeles. Omarion Hampton is the starter, while Keaton Mitchell is listed alongside Vidal behind him. That has left Vidal with one carry for six yards through three games, after rushing 155 times for 643 yards last season. He also caught 16 passes for 136 yards in 2025.
Vidal has already shown he can absorb real NFL work, but his current team has very little reason to feed him. He’s also younger than several alternatives and wouldn’t require the Vikings to treat him as a short-term rental.
A 5th-round pick would be rich depending on Los Angeles’s valuation, but Vidal is the type of underused back worth investigating. Perhaps a 7th-rounder, not a 5th-rounder, would put the deal over the top.
7. Rachaad White | WAS
White is no longer a Buccaneer. Washington signed him this offseason, and he currently sits behind Jacory Croskey-Merritt on the Commanders’ depth chart. White has still been productive in limited work, rushing 22 times for 100 yards through three games while adding nine catches for 51 yards and a touchdown.
The appeal is obvious for O’Connell. White has caught 214 passes in his NFL career, so he’d bring another proven receiving option out of the backfield and enough rushing experience to handle a larger workload when needed.
Washington may have no interest in moving him, especially with injuries hitting its offense. But if White remains the RB2 as October rolls along, the Vikings could ask whether a future draft pick moves the needle.
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VikesNow Verdict: Nobody on the list has to cost exactly the 5th-rounder acquired for McCarthy, but that asset gives Teasley another bargaining chip if he wants help before the deadline. Overall, Vidal probably makes the most sense.
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