There’s something interesting happening in NFL backfields.
Looking at the top-10 rushing teams from last season, half had two running backs with over 100 carries. Among the next 10, four had multiple 100-carry rushers. It’s becoming increasingly common for teams to use multiple running backs in their schemes, often interchanging them depending on down and distance.
That might be hard to believe, considering the Philadelphia Eagles just won a Super Bowl after handing the ball off 345 times to Saquon Barkley, the NFL’s leading rusher. In reality, teams are quietly setting up their multi-headed running back rooms.
During this offseason, the Houston Texans signed Nick Chubb despite having Joe Mixon, and the Carolina Panthers signed Rico Dowdle to complement Chuba Hubbard. In the draft, the Los Angeles Chargers took Omarion Hampton despite signing Najee Harris, while the Denver Broncos took RJ Harvey and then signed J.K. Dobbins.
Before last season, many teams drafted a running back even though they had a young, talented player first on the depth chart. Kyren Williams broke out for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, yet they still drafted Blake Corum the following year. The New York Jets had a 22-year-old Breece Hall coming off the best season of his career, yet still selected Braelon Allen in the 2024 draft.
There’s a serious shift in mindset when it comes to running backs, and after signing Jordan Mason, the Minnesota Vikings appear to be following this trend.
“When the trade went down, I’m like, ‘No way we were able to get [Mason],’” running back Aaron Jones said. “I was low-key in awe, like cook, Kwesi, cook.”
The benefits of this 1A-1B system can be seen when looking at one of Minnesota’s rivals. The Detroit Lions famously split carries between David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, and it’s led to top-six finishes in rushing yards and a second-place finish in rushing touchdowns in back-to-back years.
Mongomery and Gibbs have different running styles, which makes Detroit’s attack so successful. Montgomery is a bruiser, often garnering goal-line and short-yardage carries to pick up easy first downs and touchdowns. He also starts more often, and the Lions use inside runs with his 224 lb. frame to wear down the defense.
Once the opposing defense tires of taking down the stronger Montgomery, Gibbs comes in, looking for chunk yardage. He was fifth in the league in yards per attempt (5.6) and third in runs of 20-plus yards (13). Gibbs had the second-fastest 40 time among running backs at the 2023 combine, so his role became obvious, and he thrives in it.
Mason joined Gibbs near the top of those lists last season, totaling nine runs of 20 yards or more and averaging 5.2 yards per attempt. At Georgia Tech, Mason and Gibbs totaled over 1,700 all-purpose yards in 2021. With Jones in the mix, Mason could have a similar season in Minnesota.
On paper, Jones and Mason may look interchangeable. But on the field, they play with striking differences. Mason’s size and shiftiness give him the tools to be the power back the Vikings seek. He can take a busted play and make something out of nothing. According to Next Gen Stats, Mason faced a stacked box 33.3% of the time last year – more than Derrick Henry – and still finished third in rush yards over expected per attempt.
On the other hand, Jones has more success as a receiver and more breakaway speed that will give Minnesota some new looks. Like any running back, he loves getting the ball in space. Having Mason by his side will give him more of those opportunities.
Getting Mason involved will also relieve Jones of some carries and keep him healthier. He had a career-high in attempts last year, which is something the Vikings would be wise not to repeat heading into his age-31 season. In some of his best years with the Green Bay Packers, he split carries with power backs like Jamaal Williams and A.J. Dillon. By adding Mason, the Vikings are hoping to recapture some of that success.
“I’m super excited to have him running with me,” Jones said. “He’s gonna wear them down, and I just get to run.”
The Vikings have built enough running back depth to use the running game more next year. There’s too much talent out there to rely on just one guy lining up behind the quarterback, something the rest of the NFL is realizing in real time.