This is not the sort of running back news that usually shakes a roster, but it does sharpen the picture for the Minnesota Vikings in a hurry. Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported that Zavier Scott has been released, and that leaves Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and Demond Claiborne as the likely three halfbacks on the 53-man roster.
That matters because the Vikings’ preseason run game was frustrating. The team managed just 233 yards on 57 carries, a return that hardly screams confidence heading into roster cutdowns. When the ground attack looks that limited, every decision at the position becomes more important, not less.
A room that now looks pretty lean
Jones is the established name. Mason gives the Vikings another proven option. Claiborne is the younger piece who now looks set to survive the numbers game. Scott, meanwhile, appears to be the odd man out after a preseason in which he had only 17 carries for 233 yards and 4.1 yards per carry. Those are not awful numbers, but they were not enough to force the issue.
And that is the blunt truth here: the Vikings may like the shape of the room, but they do not look overloaded with certainty. If Scott is not on the 53-man roster, the report suggests Minnesota could still look to add another running back for more depth. That would make sense, because three halfbacks can disappear quickly if injuries start to bite.
Carson Steele is a name to watch
Carson Steele is one player to keep an eye on. He earned first-team All-MAC honors at Ball State in 2022, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted rookie in 2024, spent time on the practice squad last season before being released in January, and then on Saturday afternoon Jordan Shultz reported that the Eagles are releasing him. That is a lot of movement in a short span, but it also means there is at least a profile there for teams looking for another body in the backfield.
For Minnesota, the issue is not just who is currently in the room. It is whether the room is actually deep enough. Jones, Mason and Demond Claiborne is a workable trio. It is not an especially comforting one if the Vikings believe the run game needs more than the 233 yards they produced in preseason. That is why the Scott release feels bigger than a simple cut: it may be the first step toward another move before the roster is finalised.
