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Outside of the quarterback talk with J.J. McCarthy, the Minnesota Vikings could help their young signal-caller with an improved running game. The Vikings were in the bottom 10 in terms of team rushing yards with 1,841, per ESPN. As a result, the ground game is one area the team needs to address this offseason.
There are a couple of ways that the Vikings could bolster their running back room, whether it’s through trade, free agency, or the draft. For CBS Sports’ JP Acosta, he’s predicting that Minnesota will pursue a free agent running back, Kenneth Walker III.
“The Vikings need some more juice and some tackle-breaking ability in that backfield; they’re 27th in broken tackle and missed tackle rate among all their running backs,” Acosta said during a Jan. 14 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “Kenneth Walker finished fourth in that metric, showing an ability to create explosive plays on the ground and as a receiver.
“I think it’ll fit really well with what Minnesota wants to do. While sometimes no Kenneth Walker run is ever really a normal run, I think his ability to generate explosives is going to be super cool in Kevin O’Connell’s offense.”
Walker had 221 carries for 1,027 yards and scored 5 touchdowns in 17 games this season for the Seattle Seahawks, per StatMuse. Moreover, he has split time with Zach Charbonnet at the running back position.
A move that would let him be the featured back could entice him. In Minnesota, Jordan Mason appears to be the only true competition for carries, as Aaron Jones Sr. could be a cap casualty for the team this offseason.
Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Needs to Prove He’s the Guy in 2026
Heading into Season 2 as the starting QB, McCarthy will need to prove that he’s the Vikings’ face of the franchise. As a result, a running back like Walker would be ideal for him. Nonetheless, former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson believes that McCarthy will have just next season to prove he’s the No. 1 guy for Minnesota.
“[McCarthy] got one more year under his belt to prove himself,” Johnson said on the Jan. 9 edition of “Night Cap.” “Are you the future? If not, you know the NFL, not for long, especially at the quarterback position, because every team understands that unless it has one, it has no chance.”
Vikings Appear to Still Back J.J. McCarthy
Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune recently shared what he knows about the Vikings’ plan at quarterback after one season with McCarthy as the starter. Moreover, Goessling’s information aligns with Johnson’s prediction that McCarthy will get one more season as Minnesota doesn’t appear ready to move on from their QB.
“I don’t think you’re going to go out and pay a quarterback market-level money to compete with J.J. McCarthy, “ Goessling said during a Jan. 6 appearance on KFAN1003. “If you’re bringing somebody in, it’s somebody who’s going to start. In that case, you’re probably trying to trade J.J. McCarthy and not having that battle back-and-forth.
“If you’re talking about somebody making not market-level money, then that person is not going to necessarily have a claim on the job, which means it is going to be a competition, which means that person that you bring in probably has something of a ceiling.
“So that, I think, would play in McCarthy’s favor. He’s been in the system; I think the hope would be that he continues to develop, continues to mature.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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