Premium Running Back Predicted to Land with Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings won’t have much money to spend on free agents in 2025, at least compared to last year, but one outfit claims general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will end up with running back Breece Hall when it’s all said and done.

Hall’s talent is obvious, yet the Vikings already have meaningful money tied up at running back.

The New York Jets nearly traded Hall before the 2025 trade deadline during their fire sale, but Hall made it through the rest of the season in New York, now eyeing free agency for the first time in his career.

Breece Hall Could Be a Free Agent Target for Vikings

If they can find the cash, Hall to the Vikings is a new offseason theory.

Fansided’s Hall Prediction

Cody Williams ranked Hall as the league’s sixth-best free agent entering the offseason, connecting him to the Vikings as the most likely destination.

He explained this week, “Amid the Jets’ fire sale at the trade deadline, it was perhaps most shocking that Breece Hall stayed put in New York. Some have speculated that means they’ll look to retain him — but are the Jets really in the business right now of being able to pay a running back?”

“I don’t think so, especially with Hall projected to get something in the $12 million AAV range that Josh Jacobs got. But with Aaron Jones aging and Jordan Mason not working out, he’d make a ton of sense around J.J. McCarthy moving forward under Kevin O’Connell. Prediction: Minnesota Vikings.”

The Vikings start the offseason over budget by about $35 million, so seeing the team linked to a splashy free agent like Hall turned Vikings fans’ heads.

Hall’s Statistical Resume

After an injury in his rookie season, Hall has remained remarkably healthy, by any player’s standard, but especially a running back.

These are the volume numbers through four NFL seasons:

Any team would be lucky to have that production, and if Minnesota found a way to onboard Hall, few fans would complain.

Hall averages 4.5 yards per rush attempt in his career.

New York Daily News‘ Antwan Staley on Hall’s upcoming free agency: “If the Jets let Hall walk in free agency, that would be another offensive starter they would need to replace. In addition to a new QB, the Jets will likely look for multiple receivers and maybe a new left guard, depending on whether they re-sign John Simpson or Alijah Vera-Tucker, who are both scheduled to be free agents.”

“If the Jets don’t extend Hall to a long-term deal, they could use the franchise or transition tag to keep him from hitting free agency. If a player is tagged, they receive a one-year tender. The franchise tag tender is projected to be $14.1 million for a running back. If the Jets wanted to use the transition tag, that would cost them a projected $11.4 million.”

What about the Money Allotted to Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason?

This offseason, Minnesota is staring down more than $20 million in commitments to the running back room, largely tied up in Jones and Mason. That’s real money for a position the Vikings have strived to fix in consecutive offseasons.

Minnesota’s production was decent in 2025. But nothing about it tilted the field or enhanced the offense to the tune of a postseason appearance, mainly because O’Connell insisted on throwing the football, even when his quarterbacks struggled. In short, the Vikings have capable tailbacks but probably need a youthful game-changer from the draft sooner rather than later.

The Hall idea creeps in as a possible compromise. His résumé still carries upside, and most people acknowledge the Jets’ offense hasn’t exactly put him in a position to maximize it. A change of scenery would come with the hope that the draft heads once drooled over finally emerge to the fullest.

The problem is the math. Hall won’t be cheap. A $15 million-per-year neighborhood doesn’t fit cleanly with how Minnesota has allocated resources, especially with Jones and Mason already on the books. Unless Adofo-Mensah is willing to make a hard cut and fully pivot, the numbers don’t add up.

Gradual Rushing Offense Improvement in MIN

The signs are there for O’Connell’s rushing offense. He’s probably one offseason and a rookie running back draft pick away from fixing it on the whole.

Here are the numbers:

Whether it’s Hall from free agency, per the Fansided theory, or a rookie like Jadarian Price of Notre Dame or Jonah Coleman from Washington, the Vikings could be on the doorstep of finally fixing the rushing offense.