Rookies
Rookie Watch: Evaluating Demond Claiborne’s Vikings Role
How the rookie running back's role takes shape behind Mason and Jones.
Running Back · No. 27
Jordan MasonMinnesota Vikings
Power. Patience. Production.
Jordan Mason gives Minnesota's backfield a heavier, downhill runner. Acquired in a March 2025 trade from San Francisco, he shares first-team running back reps with Aaron Jones Sr. heading into the 2026 season.
View rosterJordan Mason
Running Back- Position
- Running back
- Height
- 5 feet 11 inches
- Weight
- 230 pounds
- Born
- May 24, 1999
- College
- Georgia Tech
- Experience
- 5th season
- Vikings tenure
- Trade, Mar. 2025
- 2025 rush yards
- 758 (6 TD)
Background
About Jordan Mason
Jordan Ponchez Mason was born on May 24, 1999, in Gallatin, Tennessee. He played college football at Georgia Tech from 2017 to 2021, where he was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2019, before going unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The San Francisco 49ers signed Mason as an undrafted free agent in 2022, and he made the club's 53-man roster that year. Over three seasons as a depth back behind Christian McCaffrey, Mason appeared in 45 games and started six, gaining 1,253 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground for San Francisco. His first NFL start came in the 2024 season opener at the New York Jets, where he ran for a then-career-high 147 yards.
On March 18, 2025, San Francisco traded Mason and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick, ending his 49ers tenure and beginning his time in Minnesota. He appeared in 16 games for the Vikings in 2025, starting five, and rushed for 758 yards and six touchdowns on 159 carries while adding 14 receptions for 51 yards – a full season recap is in the Season Stats section below.
Minnesota's 2026 depth chart lists Mason alongside Aaron Jones Sr. atop the running back group rather than as a clear starter-and-backup pairing, meaning his workload in 2026 is expected to be shared and situational. See the Vikings running backs hub for how the coaching staff is framing that split.
- Position
- Running back
- Number
- 27
- Height / Weight
- 5-11, 230 lb
- Born
- May 24, 1999, Gallatin, TN
- College
- Georgia Tech (2017–2021)
- NFL entry
- Undrafted, signed by SF, 2022
- Vikings tenure
- Acquired via trade, March 18, 2025
- NFL experience
- 5th season
- Career rushing
- 2,011 yds, 13 TD (2022–2025)
Sources: Wikipedia, NFL.com player profile and official Vikings player profile. Height, weight, jersey number and college confirmed against this site's own roster page and running backs hub.
2025 season · most recent completed season
Rushing & receiving statistics
Minnesota has played one 2026 game, a 39-22 Week 1 win over Green Bay (see the Week 1 recap and box score), so the totals below remain Mason's final 2025 numbers, his first season with the Vikings. Career-to-date totals from his three seasons in San Francisco are included for context.
- Rushing Yards
758
2025 season, 159 carries
- Rushing TDs
6
2025 season
- Yards / Carry
4.8
2025 season
- Receptions
14
51 yards, 2025 season
| Season | Team | GP | GS | Att | Rush Yds | Avg | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | San Francisco | 16 | 0 | 43 | 258 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | San Francisco | 17 | 0 | 40 | 206 | 5.2 | 3 | 3 | 31 |
| 2024 | San Francisco | 12 | 6 | 153 | 789 | 5.2 | 3 | 11 | 91 |
| 2025 | Minnesota | 16 | 5 | 159 | 758 | 4.8 | 6 | 14 | 51 |
| Career total | 61 | 11 | 395 | 2,011 | 5.1 | 13 | 28 | 173 | |
Source: NFL.com player stats and Wikipedia, cross-checked against the 2025 totals already published on this site's own running backs hub (758 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns, 159 carries) and the career 5.1 yards-per-carry average cited there.
Game by game
2025 game log highlights
This is a small independent fan site without a licensed play-by-play data feed, so a complete week-by-week table for all 16 of Mason's 2025 games is not built here from unverified or estimated numbers. Two individually sourced games from his first Vikings season are confirmed below.
Vikings debut · Week 1
vs. Chicago Bears
15Carries
68Rush yds
1/7Rec/Yds
Mason's first game in a Vikings uniform came in a win over Chicago, splitting early-down work in his new backfield.
Season-best performance
vs. Cincinnati Bengals
16Carries
116Rush yds
2Rush TD
Mason's most productive game of 2025, and the play this site's own running backs hub credits as the first 100-yard, multi-touchdown rushing game by a Vikings back since Dalvin Cook in 2021.
A note on the full log. Beyond the two games above, a verified, game-by-game breakdown of Mason's remaining 2025 starts and appearances is not independently published in a form this site can confirm carry-by-carry. What is verified across the full season: 16 games played, 5 starts, 159 carries for 758 yards and 6 touchdowns, plus 14 receptions for 51 yards.
See the full Vikings roster, the team stats and records page and the 2026 schedule for this season's results as they are confirmed.
On the field
Running Style
- Physical Runner At 230 pounds, Mason is built to finish runs forward through arm tackles rather than bounce plays outside, consistent with a career 5.1 yards-per-carry average built mostly on interior and off-tackle carries.
- Patient Vision His 16-carry, 116-yard game against Cincinnati in 2025 reflected a back who lets blocks develop before committing to a lane, rather than forcing carries into a crowded box.
- Contact Balance San Francisco used him behind Christian McCaffrey for three seasons largely because he could absorb early contact and keep his pad level low, a trait Minnesota is now leaning on in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
- Shared Role, Team First Minnesota's 2026 depth chart lists Mason alongside Aaron Jones Sr. rather than as an outright starter, and the site's running backs hub frames the pairing as workload-by-situation, not a competition for one job.
Timeline
Career Milestones
- College 2017 – 2021 Played running back at Georgia Tech, earning third-team All-ACC honours in 2019.
- NFL Entry 2022 Went unselected in the 2022 NFL Draft, then signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent and made the 53-man roster.
- First NFL Start 2024 Made his first career start in the 2024 season opener at the New York Jets, rushing for a then-career-high 147 yards.
- Trade to Minnesota March 18, 2025 San Francisco traded Mason and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Vikings for a 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick.
- First Vikings Season 2025 Rushed for 758 yards and 6 touchdowns on 159 carries across 16 games (5 starts), including a 116-yard, 2-touchdown performance against Cincinnati.
- Entering 2026 2026 Listed alongside Aaron Jones Sr. atop Minnesota's running back depth chart for the season opener, a 39-22 win over Green Bay. Placed on injured reserve on September 16, 2026 (see the injury report).
Keep exploring
Related Backfield Profiles
Aaron Jones Sr.
Running back · shares first-team reps with Mason
View profile
Running Backs Hub
Full 2026 depth chart and backfield breakdown
View hub
Harrison Smith
Safety · 14-season Vikings veteran
View profile
Offense
Vikings Play-Action on Early Downs: What to Watch
How a credible 2025 run game, with Mason and Jones both involved, set up the pass.
Analysis
Ivan Pace Jr. and Run Defense: What to Watch
More on the front seven Mason faces every week in practice.