The Minnesota Vikings are staring at the trade deadline with one need jumping off the page: help in the backfield.
That became even harder to ignore after their 19-15 Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions, when Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and DeeJay Dallas never really got traction. The trio combined for 14 carries and 46 yards, good for just 3.3 yards per carry. Kyler Murray’s 8.8 yards per carry helped lift the team’s overall average to 4.5, but the running backs themselves still didn’t do much to move the offense.
Through seven games, the pattern has been pretty clear. Minnesota doesn’t have a true home-run threat at running back, and that’s left the offense without the kind of explosive play that can change a game in a hurry. The Vikings have only four runs of 20 yards or more this season, and the longest one belongs to Murray at 35 yards.
It’s not a great sign when the quarterback owns the longest run on the roster.
The individual numbers tell the same story. Jones leads the group at 4.2 yards per carry, while Mason is at 3.9, Dallas sits at 3.5, and rookie Demond Claiborne is at 2.2.
Jones is still productive, but he profiles more like a backup at this stage of his career. Mason has taken a step back this season, with injury affecting his play.
Dallas is a role player, and the Vikings aren’t ready to unleash Claiborne in 2026.
That leaves Minnesota in a spot where a move feels necessary, not optional. The team appears to know it, and general manager Nolan Teasley is the one who has to make it happen.
Jonathan Taylor stands out as the obvious target.
Taylor brings exactly the kind of burst Minnesota is missing. He has five runs of 20 yards or more by himself, which is one more than the entire Vikings team has produced. Even with the Colts in rebuild mode, Taylor has opened the 2026 season with 610 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 4.1 yards per carry.
That average may not jump off the page, but it comes with a catch: defenses are crowding the box with eight or nine defenders because they know Taylor is getting the ball. Even with that attention, he’s still producing.
For the Vikings, Taylor would fit neatly into a backfield with Jones and Mason and could ease some of the pressure on Murray. A stronger run game would also force defenses to respect the ground attack more, which should help the passing game open up. And unlike in Indianapolis, Taylor wouldn’t have to absorb 25 to 30 carries every week.
Minnesota has already taken its first loss of the season, and the challenge now is keeping the early momentum from slipping away. A move for Taylor would be the kind of swing that changes the shape of the season. The Vikings can’t afford to let that chance pass them by.
In Other News...
Vikings Could Make A Costly Deadline Swing At Running Back
The running back market could get expensive before the NFL trade deadline, and Minnesota has been mentioned among the teams keeping a close eye on it. With injuries and depth concerns driving interest around the league, the Vikings are one of several clubs exploring help at the position, while Indianapolis has made it clear it may not be eager to move Jonathan Taylor without a meaningful return.
For Minnesota, the question is whether the price tag matches the urgency. League chatter has linked the Vikings and the Giants to the same search for backfield help, but any deal for Taylor would likely require a significant package and would force a team to weigh present needs against future draft capital. Nothing is finalized, and Taylors situation in Indianapolis remains unresolved, which leaves the deadline picture very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Quarterback Frustration Just Put A Bigger Move In Play
The Vikings recent loss has only sharpened the conversation around their quarterback situation, and it has begun to push the discussion beyond the usual short-term fixes. Instead of focusing solely on adding help at running back, the bigger question now is whether Minnesota should be looking at a more dramatic move to stabilize the offense and change the direction of the room.
Daniel Jones has emerged as the name to watch in that conversation, especially with Indianapolis in a rebuilding phase and open to reshaping its roster. For Minnesota, the appeal is obvious: if the frustration with quarterback play is real enough, the front office may be forced to think bigger than a single skill-position upgrade, even if the timing and market for such a move are still very much in flux. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Taylor Trade Talk Just Put The Colts On The Spot
Minnesotas first loss of the season has only sharpened the conversation around how this offense wants to win when the passing game is not carrying the load. The Vikings have looked dangerous enough to keep the pressure on opponents, but the debate now is whether they need a more reliable rushing presence to round out the attack and give the offense a clearer identity.
That is why the trade chatter around Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor has started to feel more than hypothetical, even if nothing official is in place. Any serious pursuit would come with real hurdles, from the cost in draft capital to the cap math needed to make it work, and those are the kinds of obstacles that can stall a splashy idea before it ever reaches the finish line. [Read more 🡒]