The Minnesota Vikings did not need to be convinced that their rushing offense could matter last season. Down the stretch, they leaned on it to control games and give themselves a more reliable path to victory. Now, the goal is to turn that late-season formula into a more complete offensive identity.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell believes the Vikings have the personnel and the foundation to do it. Aaron Jones is back and, according to his coach, moving well. Jordan Mason has arrived in “unbelievable shape,” while rookie Demond Claiborne has already shown the burst that stood out on his college tape.
But the bigger story is not simply the collection of running backs. It is how Minnesota wants the run game to look: more physical at the line of scrimmage, more precise in its execution and capable of producing explosives when defenses commit to slowing down the Vikings’ passing attack.
The Vikings have long been built around their ability to stress opponents through the air. This year, O’Connell wants a rushing attack that can punish defenses for the way they choose to play Minnesota and provide another dependable way to win.
Kevin O’Connell on His Philosophy
O’Connell pushed back on the idea that Minnesota is making a dramatic shift in its offensive identity. According to him, the Vikings ran the ball often and efficiently last season, particularly during the final five games, when they used the ground game to control key stretches of contests.
Among fans, there has been some concern about how quickly he abandons the ground game on Sundays. So let’s check the facts. The Vikings ranked 27th in total runs with 410. However, they also ranked 28th in pass attempts. Overall, the offense just couldn’t sustain drives one way or another.
According to RBSDM.com, the Vikings ranked 19th in pass percentage on neutral downs with 51.2%. That excludes third and fourth downs, as well as late-half situations. There’s also the wrinkle that the Vikings were expected to pass on 61.4% of their total plays, and only passed on 60.2%. Statistically, O’Connell’s run-game frequency was not the problem in 2025. Minnesota’s broader offensive struggles were reflected in its low volume of both rushing and passing attempts.
From an efficiency standpoint, the Vikings ranked 15th in EPA/run, 8th in run success rate, and 12th in yards per carry. That’s not elite, but it was a whole lot better than the aerial attack.
“We ran the ball a lot last year, and we were efficient,” O’Connell said Saturday. “We really specifically leaned on it in some games to control the clock, control field position [and] allow our defense to play well.”
That experience, he said, was valuable beyond the immediate results. It showed the Vikings that a dependable run game is already part of what they can call upon when the situation demands it.
“It’s in our toolbox as a football team,” O’Connell said. “It’s a great way to play complementary football amongst the three phases.”
The focus this summer is on sharpening the details that make that possible. O’Connell described an offense that wants to establish the line of scrimmage, create clarity at the point of attack and put runners in position to trust what they see.
When Minnesota calls a run, the standard is straightforward: “Are we playing on the opponent’s side?” O’Connell said. “Are we coming off the ball and getting into combinations?”
From there, the Vikings want every player to understand the design of the play: from the intended landmark for the ball carrier to the blocks that create the lane, before allowing the backs’ natural instincts to take over.
That approach requires all 11 players. The quarterback must get the offense into the right looks and control motions. The offensive line must win its assignments. Receivers must contribute in ways that will not show up in the box score.
O’Connell pointed to Minnesota’s receivers, including Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as examples of players whose work in the run game helped make the offense go last year.
“That’s not something that wins you awards at the end of the year,” O’Connell said. “That’s not something that goes in the stat sheet, but it was about winning.”
Minnesota also expects the run game to create more than steady gains. With defenses often focused on limiting Jefferson, Addison and the Vikings’ downfield passing game, O’Connell sees an opportunity to generate efficient runs, and explosive ones.
“We want to be explosive,” he said. “That ties in with some of the schemes you’re running, too, not only the variation, but the intent when some of those hit.”
It is still early in training camp, and the clearest test will come once the pads go on. Still, the early feedback has been encouraging. O’Connell said both the offensive linemen and defensive players have noticed a difference in the way Minnesota’s run game is taking shape.
For a Vikings team looking to become harder to defend, that is exactly the point.
New Voices, Healthier Blocking
Minnesota’s optimism about the run game is not only about the backs. The Vikings also reshaped the coaching structure around the offensive line and run game, bringing in Keith Carter as offensive line coach and adding Frank Smith as assistant head coach.
O’Connell said the process began with confidence in Carter’s ability to lead the room on the fundamentals that determine whether a run game works.
“Really feeling great about Keith being the engine in that room from a technique and fundamental standpoint,” O’Connell said.
Smith adds another layer. Before joining the Vikings, he served as Miami’s offensive coordinator under Mike McDaniel, whose offenses became known for using motion, misdirection and speed to create favorable angles in the run game. O’Connell said Smith’s arrival has already helped Minnesota expand its options.
“We’ve added some variations, obviously, with Frank coming into town,” O’Connell said.
The Vikings also need better health from the players carrying out those ideas. Minnesota’s offensive line was hit hard by injuries last season, limiting continuity up front and making it more difficult to build a consistent ground game. A healthier group, especially left tackle Christian Darrisaw, would give the Vikings a better chance to establish the line of scrimmage O’Connell has emphasized throughout camp.
That is the real equation for Minnesota: improved technique under Carter, added schematic variation from Smith and a healthier offensive line capable of putting the offense on the opponent’s side of the ball. If those pieces come together, the Vikings’ backfield will have a much better opportunity to turn its talent into production.
Jordan Mason Could Lead the Ground-Game Surge
Jordan Mason’s role may be one of the clearest indicators of how much the Vikings want their rushing offense to evolve in 2026.
Mason split work with Aaron Jones last season, and Jones remains the more reliable option in the passing game. But when it comes to generating force and creating extra yardage on the ground, Mason offers a different profile. At 5-foot-11, 230 pounds (listed), he is the bigger, more physical back compared with the shifty Jones and his production suggests there is more upside to tap into.
Among 64 running backs with at least 50 rushing attempts last season, Mason ranked 10th in success rate, sixth in explosive-run percentage and 15th in yards per carry. He also ranked sixth in rush yards over expected per attempt among backs with at least 90 carries.
Those numbers point to a runner who consistently stayed on schedule while also bringing the ability to change a game with one carry. Mason’s combination of size, decisive running and big-play juice fits the vision O’Connell laid out for a Vikings ground game that wants to be both efficient and explosive.
The early signs at training camp have been encouraging. O’Connell said Mason has arrived ready to build on what he showed in his first season with Minnesota.
“To me, we’ve already kind of seen it,” O’Connell said. “You guys can probably even tell just by the way he looks; he’s in unbelievable shape right now.”
O’Connell added that the Vikings are emphasizing the aspects of their run-game scheme that best suit Mason’s strengths. That has shown up in the way the back has handled the early practices.
“The things that he really thrives at, and has proven, we’re emphasizing in some aspects of our different run-game schemes,” O’Connell said. “He’s already made a few cuts, a few runs and some things that have demonstrated not only a comfort level, but that he’s a guy who’s prepared and ready to go. I’m really excited about Jordan.”
Jones will continue to have an important role in Minnesota’s backfield, particularly on passing downs. But Mason gives the Vikings a more punishing option between the tackles without sacrificing explosiveness. If he carries his early-camp momentum into the season, the Vikings could have a back capable of turning a solid rushing offense into a legitimate strength.
Demond Claiborne Adds Juice
Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones give the Vikings a proven one-two punch. Mason brings physicality, decisive running and the ability to create tough yards, while Jones remains one of the most dependable, versatile backs in the league.
Mason and Jones offer different strengths, but Claiborne brings a level of straight-line speed that gives Minnesota another kind of answer in the backfield.
That is where rookie Demond Claiborne could add a new dimension. Claiborne ran a 4.37-second 40-yard dash during the pre-draft process, and that acceleration consistently showed up on his college tape. He has the speed to turn a crease into a chunk gain, and a chunk gain into a touchdown.
O’Connell said that trait was impossible to miss during Minnesota’s evaluation process and has already been evident early in training camp.
“His explosiveness was all over the tape,” O’Connell said. “You guys have probably seen it even early on with some things either in space or his ability to hit the run where we want him to go and then what he’s able to do off of that.”
Claiborne does not need to carry the entire rushing offense as a rookie. With the trustworthy Jones and Mason ahead of him, Minnesota can bring him along deliberately while giving him opportunities to use the trait that separates him from the rest of the room: speed.
And the veterans around him should help accelerate that development. O’Connell specifically pointed to Jones’ presence as an important resource for Claiborne, as well as Mason.
“I think having a guy like Aaron Jones in the room is such a huge thing for him, not only him, but Jordan as well,” O’Connell said. “Aaron’s in great shape, he’s moving really well, and then Jordan’s off to a really good start.”
The full picture will become clearer once the Vikings put on pads, but Claiborne already appears to give the backfield an element it did not otherwise possess. If Mason provides the power and Jones provides the versatility, Claiborne’s speed could give Minnesota the home-run threat that completes the group.
A Backfield Built for Different Answers
The Vikings are not asking one running back to do everything.
Aaron Jones brings experience, receiving value and the ability to make defenders miss. Jordan Mason gives Minnesota a bigger, more physical runner who has already shown he can be efficient and explosive on the ground. Demond Claiborne adds legitimate breakaway speed and a developmental upside that could make the group even more dangerous.
Together, they give O’Connell options—and they give the Vikings a chance to make the rushing offense a more consistent complement to their passing game.
The work is only beginning, and the real test will come once the pads go on and the regular season arrives. But the early message from training camp is clear: Minnesota believes it has the personnel, the scheme and the intent to make its ground game a bigger part of how it wins in 2026.
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