The Minnesota Vikings have a solid double at running back with Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison. With Cook’s future with the team safely secured, Minnesota could get some nice compensation for their No. 2 back.
Minnesota isn’t actively buying Mattison ahead of the regular season, but they’re listening to offers on the young running back (by Heavy.com.) Mattison is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and has a cap of $1,170,545 this year. The 2019 third-round pick has been an effective backup for Cook, rushing for 1,387 yards and six touchdowns (4.2 yards per carry) over his three seasons — averaging 110 carries per season. He also had 55 catches for 435 yards and two touchdowns during that span.
The emergence of Ty Chandler could be the reason Minnesota is listening to offers for Mattison. Chandler, a fifth-round pick in 2022, had 113 yards and an average of 7.5 yards per carry on 15 carries and a preseason touchdown. While looking like a potential Cook backup, it makes Mattison potentially expendable in a contract year.
“I thought overall, Ty, he’s pretty decisive in the running game, putting his foot down, going north to south,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said more early this month. “He ran with the type of physique that sometimes you don’t see in training.
“You know it’s there, you know the vision is there, so he was a real bright spot for me.”
Whether Chandler is second running back on the depth chart depends on what the Vikings do with Mattison. He finished with a career-high in rushing yards (491), rushing attempts (134) and rushing touchdowns (three) last season — and made four starts in the process.
With teams valuing the running position, Mattison could be in line for a much bigger role if he’s dealt Minnesota. An opportunity to shine in an expanded role could lead to a bigger contract in free agency.
The Vikings have no intention of trading Mattison, but it looks like he could be bought at the right price.