The Minnesota Vikings have an offense full of potent pass-catchers, but the talent in the running back room doesn’t match up with its counterparts in the wide receiver and tight end groups.
Ben Solak of ESPN authored a prediction on July 1 that the Chicago Bears will trade for Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts. However, if Taylor comes available, Minnesota might actually make more sense as both a destination for the three-time Pro Bowler as well as a team willing to pay him what it will take to make an extension happen.
“Taylor is approaching the last year on his [$42 million] deal, so the Colts will need to decide if they want to give the 27-year-old a big third contract,” Solak wrote. “It’s rare to see an NFL running back make it that deep into his career.”
“If the Colts come out of the gates slow and consider an organizational change midseason, then Taylor surely would draw trade interest,” Solak continued. “A playoff-aspiring team that has viable change-of-pace backs but no dominant starter would love to grab Taylor for a one-year rental. Should he perform well, that team could give him that two-year, pay-as-we-go extension that running backs often get with their third contract.”
RB Room Arguably Weakest Position Group on Vikings’ Roster
GettyMinnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones.
Minnesota doesn’t have a clear cut RB1, with aging veteran Aaron Jones and one-dimensional rusher Jordan Mason each entering a contract year in 2026.
Mike Clay of ESPN went as far as to describe the position group as the team’s greatest weakness heading into training camp.
“It was a bit surprising that Minnesota did little to address this position after its running backs finished 30th in both rushing yards and scrimmage yards last season,” Clay wrote. “[Jones] has been solid throughout his career, but he’s entering his age-31 season and ranked dead last among 65 qualified backs in forced missed tackle rate and elusive rating in 2025, per PFF. Jordan Mason is an effective rusher (career 5.1 YPC) but isn’t a receiving option (28 career receptions). Undersized sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne was the team’s only offseason addition of note.”
Vikings Can Afford New Deal for Jonathan Taylor After 2026
GettyIndianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
It was never much more than a fun pipe dream, but several NFL analysts crafted trade-up scenarios for the Vikings ahead of April’s draft, in which Minnesota found a way to get into the top 3-5 and select Jeremiyah Love out of Notre Dame.
The idea was the viability of an elite RB in head coach Kevin O’Connell’s system truly cracking open the playbook and allowing one of the best play-callers in the league to soar to new heights in the NFC North.
Taylor is 27, and Solak contended that he still has potential as the game’s best RB. Spotrac projects Taylor’s market value at just shy of $16 million annually over a new two-year contract following the 2026 campaign. That is under $6 million more than the $10 million the team has fully guaranteed for Jones and Mason combined this season.
Of course, that doesn’t factor in the trade cost to the Vikings for a player of Taylor’s caliber, who won’t be easy to pry away from the Colts given how reliant their offense is going to be on his production as QB Daniel Jones fights his way back from an Achilles tear.
But the Vikings are cheap at the quarterback position in 2026, so if the motivation is there to send out the draft capital, Jones could be a tide-turning candidate in Minnesota ahead of the November trade deadline.
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