J.J. McCarthy will take his first NFL steps on Monday, September 8th, in Minnesota’s season opener at Soldier Field. The sophomore passer has returned from his knee injury and is ready to go. In that opener, he will have Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson in his corner, but will be without Jordan Addison. Perhaps a secret weapon will help him prevail.
J.J. McCarthy Has a Secret Weapon
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports named every young quarterback’s secret best friend, and his choice for McCarthy was not one of the depth receivers or tight ends. Instead, he chose Jordan Mason, the new running back in town.
Benjamin explained, “This was a tough call. Justin Jefferson would be any and every quarterback’s best friend, but he’s no secret. Jordan Addison showed elite chemistry with McCarthy this summer, but he’s guaranteed to miss the first three games due to suspension. That leaves Mason as a real under-the-radar X factor. Aaron Jones is the lightning of Kevin O’Connell’s backfield, but the Vikings appear determined to utilize Mason, the ex-San Francisco 49ers fill-in, as a short-yardage chain-mover. If that takes pressure off McCarthy on key downs and in the red area, it’ll be a win.”
Indeed, Mason is primed to be a short-yardage back because he offers the size Aaron Jones lacks at 5’11” and 223 lbs. A powerful runner is the perfect complement to the elusive Jones.
Kevin O’Connell said in the offseason: “I do think Jordan is going to bring something to the table in those short-yardage situations, those goalline situations, where we really left a lot to be desired as a football team, and that starts with me to make sure we improve in that area because we certainly have improved personnel-wise.”
That’s why Mason was acquired via trade in March. The San Francisco 49ers couldn’t (or didn’t want to) match his salary demands and decided to ditch him for a late-round pick. Ironically, that pick was obtained by trading Ed Ingram to the Houston Texans.
Mason had a wonderful 2024 season in which he was asked to replace Christian McCaffrey for about half the season. His production went through the roof as he averaged 107 yards from scrimmage per game without CMC in the mix.
Also intriguing is his career average of 5.3 yards per carry, and even in last year’s elevated role, he registered 5.2 yards per attempt. That placed him among the league’s very best rushers in that category.
In rushing yards over expected per attempt, Mason ranked third. Is that a legit category? Well, the two guys over him are Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley, who were likely the two best backs in the league last year, and both had outstanding seasons. Pro Football Focus tracks rushing yards after contact per attempt, and Mason was listed tenth with 3.35 yards.
He has not yet proven to be a great goalline back, but the vision is him behind a new offensive line, forcing his way into the endzone deep in the redzone. That should help McCarthy because it’s not easy to play quarterback in that area. In recent memory, the Vikings were too one-dimensional down there, but the new additions can hopefully add that element and keep defenses guessing.
Early in the season, when the Vikings don’t have Jordan Addison in the mix, the club might lean on the running game, especially with McCarthy making his first career adventures. By adding a workhorse like Mason and using him in tandem with Jones, the front office has built the groundwork for a different-looking offense.
The 26-year-old could truly evolve into McCarthy’s best friend if he could guarantee first downs and touchdowns in short-yardage situations.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
