The Minnesota Vikings are in the middle of a quarterback competition to determine their starter. Nonetheless, whether it’s Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy, a good running game will be a massive complement that will help them succeed this upcoming 2026 NFL season.
While the Vikings will count on Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, could Minnesota turn to another player to provide help in the run game? In a July 15 video, Judd Zulgad of SKOR North noted that he would like head coach Kevin O’Connell to feature Jordan Addison more in the running game this upcoming season.
“My modest proposal is this: Based on Jordan Addison’s 65-yard touchdown run, which was the longest touchdown run by the Vikings last season on a jet sweep in the 23-10 Christmas Day win against Detroit at U.S. Bank Stadium, I got to thinking, why can’t Jordan be more involved in the running game at times?” Zulgad said. “No, I’m not saying make him a running back.
“I’m not saying crazy stuff. But did you know that in 2025 he actually had two carries for 81 yards? So 65 yards and then, what, 16 more yards? Both obviously were first downs. And in his career, he has six rushes for 103 yards, two touchdowns and three first downs over three seasons. That’s 17.2 yards per attempt. And if you look at his build, he’s sort of built like a guy who could get the football and run.”
Jordan Addison Could Be a Major Running Threat for Vikings
As Zulgad mentioned, Addison has 103 rushing yards for the Vikings in his career, recording two rushing touchdowns while averaging 17.2 yards per carry, per StatMuse. Moreover, another reason Zulgad believes the Vikings wideout should be a threat in the running game is his physical build.
“He’s not a lanky guy,” Zulgad added. “He’s certainly a strong enough guy. When you look at the Vikings’ current run game, it’s not really all that threatening, and it needs to be.
“I’m not saying to put him in the backfield and make him a running back, but how could you find ways, in this world of creativity that Kevin O’Connell dabbles in, to get the football into Jordan Addison’s hands in more situations like this?”
Jordan Addison on His Chemistry With Kyler Murray
Nonetheless, as a receiver, Addison will need to forming chemistry with whoever wins the QB battle. Recently, the Vikings wideout noted how that connection with Murray is going as many believe that the former No. 1 pick will emerge victorious in this competition.
“I’ll say it’s been good,” Addison said on June 11 about his connection with Murray. “Kyler is a lot of fun to work with. He’s smart. He’s talented. He’s obviously a veteran and somebody that I can learn under, and he can learn from me as well because I’ve been in the offense for a little bit. I’m honestly just ready to roll…
“We’re both learning from each other and feeding off each other. He’s asking me questions, and I’m asking him questions. When I’m running through my routes, I’m asking him what he sees. It’s just constant feedback and constant learning.”
Vikings Get Intriguing Jordan Addison Take Before Training Camp