One analyst is pushing the Minnesota Vikings to inquire about Los Angeles Chargers running back Kimani Vidal as the team works through a thin and injury-hit backfield early in the 2026 season.
Jordan Mason, the Vikings’ leading rusher in 2025, landed on injured reserve after Week 1 with a fractured thumb that required surgery. Coach Kevin O’Connell has said the absence should fit a short-term window, with Mason eligible to return after the Week 6 bye for a Week 7 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Aaron Jones has handled the bulk of the carries in Mason’s place. Through three games the veteran has 203 rushing yards and a touchdown on 62 attempts. Depth behind him has not produced much.
Demond Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas have combined for 11 rushing yards on six carries. Since Sept. 2 the Vikings have added Dallas, Jerome Ford, Jaret Patterson, Devin Neal and Audric Estime, leaving a room that still includes Mason, Jones and rookie Claiborne once the injured starter is cleared.
That lack of proven production has fueled outside suggestions that Minnesota look outside the building before the Nov. 10 trade deadline. One name drawing attention is Vidal, a third-year back who has fallen behind Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell in Los Angeles.
“It’s easy to see why the Vikings should be interested in Vidal if he becomes available. He’s young and underused, making the perfect storm for Minnesota to unlock his potential. Claiborne and Dallas have had their chances to fill in for Mason, but they aren’t producing enough to stick around on a legitimate playoff contender,” Devon Platana wrote for Vikings on SI.
Vidal has played only 28 offensive snaps through three games this season, about 14.6 percent of the Chargers’ offensive plays. He has one carry for 6 yards and one reception for 14 yards, while his special-teams snaps have already reached 19.
The Chargers sit at 0-3 and last in the AFC West. Hampton has taken 104 offensive snaps and Mitchell 60, leaving Vidal as the clear third option under new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel.
Last season told a different story. Vidal started 10 of 13 games and led the Chargers with 155 carries for 643 yards and three touchdowns, adding 16 catches for 136 yards and another score. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
Minnesota saw that production up close. In a Week 8 win at U.S. Bank Stadium, Vidal ran 23 times for 117 yards and scored his first career rushing touchdown in a 37-10 Chargers victory.
His earlier NFL work was more limited. As a rookie in 2024 he had 43 carries for 155 yards and five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown in 10 games after the Chargers selected him in the sixth round, 181st overall.
College production at Troy was far heavier. Vidal finished with 4,010 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns on 781 carries across 48 games, plus 92 receptions for 700 yards.
In 2023 he ran for 1,661 yards and 14 touchdowns on 297 carries, earned Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year honors and made the Associated Press All-America third team. He also posted 1,132 yards and 10 scores in 2022.
The 5-foot-8, 215-pound back turns 25 in August and is in the final year of his rookie deal before restricted free agency. Any deal would likely cost a late-round pick given his current role, though no formal talks have been reported.
Vikings coaches have stressed a continued commitment to the run even with Mason sidelined. Adding a back who has already handled a full starter’s workload could give Jones rest and provide a bridge until Mason returns, provided the price stays modest.
