Minnesota Vikings expected to release Alexander Mattison

Highlights

• The Minnesota Vikings released running back Alexander Mattison to save $3.4 million in cap space.
• Mattison underwhelmed in his first year as the Vikings’ starting tailback.
• Mattison now finds himself in a loaded free agent running back class.

The Minnesota Vikings will have a new starter in their backfield for a third consecutive season.

Late Thursday evening, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings informed running back Alexander Mattison that he was going to be released.

By cutting Mattison, who was preparing to enter his sixth year in purple and gold, Minnesota cleared nearly $3.4 million in 2024 cap space. They’re now slightly over $41 million beneath the NFL’s record-breaking salary cap for 2024 (14th-most cap space in the NFL) as they head into free agency and the new league year.

Mattison disappointed as a full-time starter in 2023

He never grabbed the reins of the Vikings’ backfield

Mattison signed a two-year, $7 million contract last offseason to be Minnesota’s starting tailback and the immediate replacement for Dalvin Cook, whom the team released after failing to find a trade partner. Mattison provided some quality results in relief of Cook across four spot starts in 2021, giving the Vikings optimism about receiving 80 percent of Cook’s production from Mattison for roughly 20 percent of the cost.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things played out. Mattison failed to average four yards per carry this year, posted 3.5 yards per carry or fewer in nine of his 16 appearances and did not score on the ground.

He appeared to finally hit his stride with three solid showings in Weeks 11-13, but an injured ankle opened the door for Ty Chandler, who successfully wrestled the job away with 157 total yards and a touchdown in Week 14. Mattison then played 40 percent of snaps or fewer in each of the season’s final three weeks.

The Vikings still have four running backs signed through 2024. Chandler is likely to receive the best chance at claiming the torch from Mattison as the lead dog in Minnesota’s backfield unless the team decides to spend a high draft pick or sign a high-end veteran.

Chandler, a second-year pro, came in and started the final four games of the campaign—and he really impressed. The Nashville native averaged about 65 yards a game on a 4.9 clip over that final four-game span, and with three 20+ yard runs, he showed the burst and excitement factor that was missing with Mattison as the backfield lead. Over the final four weeks of the season, Chandler was top 20 in rushing yards and top 10 in yards per carry.

Apart from Chandler ($1.1 million cap hit in 2024), the running back room in the Twin Cities includes: veteran Myles Gaskin ($985k), who started 17 games for the Miami Dolphins from 2020-2021 but saw zero carries in 2023, Kene Nwangwu ($1.2 million), a return specialist whose three kick return TDs since entering the league in 2021 are the most over that span, and DeWayne McBride ($795k), who has yet to take an NFL snap.

Minnesota has ample cap space to sign a veteran running back in free agency, such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, or Josh Jacobs, but those dollars are likely earmarked for a Justin Jefferson extension and/or a new contract for Kirk Cousins. The most likely scenario for the Vikes’ backfield heading into 2024 is that it will be led by Chandler or a Day 2 draft pick.

Mattison enters a loaded free agent running back class

The position’s depressed market has every team searching for value

Mattison will likely be waiting a decent bit of time for a new team to dial his number. Organizations have become less and less likely to agree on healthy long-term pacts with running backs, who are now seen as the NFL’s most expendable and replaceable asset.

Pro Bowl-level players, such as Austin Ekeler and D’Andre Swift, are not even inside the top four of GIVEMESPORT’s 2024 free agent running back pool.

As a solid reserve piece who can contribute to the passing game, Mattison has some appeal. But, barring an injury, he’s unlikely to find himself set in a regular starting role again any time soon.

Source: Adam Schefter

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.