The Vikings released Alexander Mattison yesterday, a move that is anything but surprising. As both a backup and a starter across the past three seasons, he's been one of the league's most ineffective running backs. Minnesota seems to have a better one on the roster in Ty Chandler (pictured).
Over the past three years, 46 different running backs have averaged at least 100 rushing attempts. Mattison has more carries than about a third of those backs, but fewer rushing yards per game than all of them. Understandable that while backing up Dalvin Cook for two years he'd be behind players who were regular starters all those seasons. But Mattison's 30.1 rushing yards per game are also behind a lot of players who didn't start more than a handful of games in any of those seasons, guys like Kareem Hunt, Cordarrelle Patterson, Zack Moss and AJ Dillon.
The below table, sorted by rushing yards per game, was compiled using the search tools at pro-football-reference.com.
| RBS AVERAGING 100 CARRIES, 2021-2023 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Y/G |
| Jonathan Taylor | 693 | 3413 | 4.9 | 29 | 89.8 |
| Nick Chubb | 558 | 2954 | 5.3 | 20 | 89.5 |
| Derrick Henry | 848 | 3642 | 4.3 | 35 | 88.8 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 615 | 3040 | 4.9 | 23 | 76.0 |
| Josh Jacobs | 790 | 3330 | 4.2 | 27 | 74.0 |
| Saquon Barkley | 704 | 2867 | 4.1 | 18 | 66.7 |
| Kenneth Walker III | 447 | 1955 | 4.4 | 17 | 65.2 |
| Joe Mixon | 759 | 3053 | 4.0 | 29 | 65.0 |
| Najee Harris | 834 | 3269 | 3.9 | 22 | 64.1 |
| James Conner | 593 | 2574 | 4.3 | 29 | 62.8 |
| Travis Etienne | 487 | 2133 | 4.4 | 16 | 62.7 |
| David Montgomery | 645 | 2665 | 4.1 | 25 | 62.0 |
| Alvin Kamara | 643 | 2489 | 3.9 | 11 | 60.7 |
| Breece Hall | 303 | 1457 | 4.8 | 9 | 60.7 |
| Raheem Mostert | 392 | 1923 | 4.9 | 21 | 60.1 |
| Aaron Jones | 526 | 2576 | 4.9 | 8 | 59.9 |
| Tony Pollard | 575 | 2731 | 4.7 | 17 | 56.9 |
| Isiah Pacheco | 375 | 1765 | 4.7 | 12 | 56.9 |
| Brian Robinson Jr. | 383 | 1530 | 4.0 | 7 | 56.7 |
| Dalvin Cook | 580 | 2546 | 4.4 | 14 | 56.6 |
| Elijah Mitchell | 327 | 1523 | 4.7 | 9 | 56.4 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | 499 | 2265 | 4.5 | 14 | 55.2 |
| Miles Sanders | 525 | 2455 | 4.7 | 12 | 54.6 |
| D'Onta Foreman | 445 | 1905 | 4.3 | 12 | 54.4 |
| Austin Ekeler | 589 | 2454 | 4.2 | 30 | 52.2 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 396 | 1718 | 4.3 | 7 | 52.1 |
| Devin Singletary | 581 | 2587 | 4.5 | 16 | 51.7 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 652 | 2520 | 3.9 | 25 | 51.4 |
| D'Andre Swift | 479 | 2208 | 4.6 | 15 | 51.3 |
| Javonte Williams | 467 | 1881 | 4.0 | 7 | 50.8 |
| Dameon Pierce | 365 | 1355 | 3.7 | 6 | 50.2 |
| James Cook | 326 | 1629 | 5.0 | 4 | 49.4 |
| Leonard Fournette | 381 | 1520 | 4.0 | 11 | 47.5 |
| Damien Harris | 331 | 1485 | 4.5 | 19 | 46.4 |
| Jamaal Williams | 521 | 1973 | 3.8 | 21 | 45.9 |
| AJ Dillon | 551 | 2186 | 4.0 | 14 | 44.6 |
| Melvin Gordon | 319 | 1317 | 4.1 | 11 | 43.9 |
| Rachaad White | 401 | 1471 | 3.7 | 7 | 43.3 |
| Khalil Herbert | 364 | 1775 | 4.9 | 8 | 42.3 |
| Chuba Hubbard | 505 | 1980 | 3.9 | 12 | 40.4 |
| Zack Moss | 372 | 1595 | 4.3 | 10 | 39.9 |
| Antonio Gibson | 472 | 1848 | 3.9 | 11 | 39.3 |
| Latavius Murray | 369 | 1561 | 4.2 | 16 | 36.3 |
| Cordarrelle Patterson | 347 | 1494 | 4.3 | 14 | 34.7 |
| Kareem Hunt | 336 | 1265 | 3.8 | 17 | 31.6 |
| Alexander Mattison | 388 | 1474 | 3.8 | 8 | 30.1 |
Strictly among 2023 running backs, Mattison was also ineffective, averaging just 3.9 yards per attempt. Yards per carry isn't all on running backs, but it's notable in that the other back with 100-plus attempts on his own team, Chandler, averaged more than half a yard per attempt better (4.5). There were 49 running backs with at least 100 carries last year. Only 14 averaged a lower yards per attempt than Mattison, while only 15 averaged a higher yards per attempt than Chandler.
| 2023 RUSHING (100-PLUS ATTEMPTS) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD |
| De'Von Achane | 103 | 800 | 7.8 | 8 |
| Christian McCaffrey | 272 | 1459 | 5.4 | 14 |
| Jaylen Warren | 149 | 784 | 5.3 | 4 |
| Jahmyr Gibbs | 182 | 945 | 5.2 | 10 |
| Kyren Williams | 228 | 1144 | 5.0 | 12 |
| James Conner | 208 | 1040 | 5.0 | 7 |
| Raheem Mostert | 209 | 1012 | 4.8 | 18 |
| James Cook | 237 | 1122 | 4.7 | 2 |
| David Montgomery | 219 | 1015 | 4.6 | 13 |
| Isiah Pacheco | 205 | 935 | 4.6 | 7 |
| D'Andre Swift | 229 | 1049 | 4.6 | 5 |
| Aaron Jones | 142 | 656 | 4.6 | 2 |
| Bijan Robinson | 214 | 976 | 4.6 | 4 |
| Khalil Herbert | 132 | 611 | 4.6 | 2 |
| Breece Hall | 223 | 994 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Ty Chandler | 102 | 461 | 4.5 | 3 |
| Tyjae Spears | 100 | 453 | 4.5 | 2 |
| Jonathan Taylor | 169 | 741 | 4.4 | 7 |
| Zack Moss | 183 | 794 | 4.3 | 5 |
| Zach Charbonnet | 108 | 462 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Zamir White | 104 | 451 | 4.3 | 1 |
| Derrick Henry | 280 | 1167 | 4.2 | 12 |
| Devin Singletary | 216 | 898 | 4.2 | 4 |
| Najee Harris | 255 | 1035 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Kenneth Walker III | 219 | 905 | 4.1 | 8 |
| Brian Robinson Jr. | 178 | 733 | 4.1 | 5 |
| Gus Edwards | 198 | 810 | 4.1 | 13 |
| Joe Mixon | 257 | 1034 | 4.0 | 9 |
| Tony Pollard | 252 | 1005 | 4.0 | 6 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | 156 | 619 | 4.0 | 4 |
| Jerome Ford | 204 | 813 | 4.0 | 4 |
| Saquon Barkley | 247 | 962 | 3.9 | 6 |
| Alvin Kamara | 180 | 694 | 3.9 | 5 |
| D'Onta Foreman | 109 | 425 | 3.9 | 4 |
| Alexander Mattison | 180 | 700 | 3.9 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne | 267 | 1008 | 3.8 | 11 |
| Chuba Hubbard | 238 | 902 | 3.8 | 5 |
| Joshua Kelley | 107 | 405 | 3.8 | 2 |
| Tyler Allgeier | 186 | 683 | 3.7 | 4 |
| Rachaad White | 272 | 990 | 3.6 | 6 |
| Javonte Williams | 217 | 774 | 3.6 | 3 |
| Josh Jacobs | 233 | 805 | 3.5 | 6 |
| Austin Ekeler | 179 | 628 | 3.5 | 5 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 184 | 642 | 3.5 | 3 |
| AJ Dillon | 178 | 613 | 3.4 | 2 |
| Miles Sanders | 129 | 432 | 3.3 | 1 |
| Kareem Hunt | 135 | 411 | 3.0 | 9 |
| Dameon Pierce | 145 | 416 | 2.9 | 2 |
| Jamaal Williams | 106 | 306 | 2.9 | 1 |
So the question is whether we should all be taking fliers on Chandler as Minnesota's potential starter. The 2022 fifth-rounder was a lot better than Mattison the second half of last year. He averaged 82 total yards and 13.2 PPR points in the four games he started, compared to 61 yards and 7.1 PPR points for Mattison. So maybe.
But the Vikings went 1-6 down the stretch, with Chandler going over 100 total yards in games at Denver and Cincinnati, but finishing under 50 yards four times (New Orleans, Chicago, Las Vegas and Detroit). I'm not sure Minnesota will look at much of what happened the second half of last season and say they want to build on that.
To me, Chandler looks like a possibility to emerge as the starter, but Minnesota will definitely be adding to the position. My guess right now is that Mattison being released is less full confidence in Chandler than it is a statement on Mattison's NFL future. Chandler is maybe a late-round flier, but no one should be counting on him being the team's lead back just yet.
--Andy Richardson