The Minnesota Vikings were the NFC’s last unbeaten team, but they have lost two straight since starting 5-0.
With the defense starting to crack and the offense heavily reliant on Justin Jefferson, the Vikings could use reinforcements to keep pace in the brutal NFC North. Below we explore one option Minnesota could consider to bolster its offense.
Vikings Could Round Out Offense by Boosting Run Game
Trade Proposal
- Vikings Get: RB Chuba Hubbard and 2026 seventh-round pick
- Panthers Get: 2026 sixth-round pick
This doesn’t seem like much for a player who currently ranks sixth in the NFL with 593 rushing yards. But Chuba Hubbard is in the final year of his rookie contract, and running backs without cost control don’t typically command much.
Considering that Carolina just moved wide receiver Diontae Johnson for a late-round pick swap in the fifth and sixth rounds, it stands to reason that Hubbard wouldn’t command much more. The Vikings don’t have a pick in the final two rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft and only have three picks overall, so any draft capital would likely have to come from their 2026 stockpile.
Minnesota ranks seventh in scoring offense this season, but the underlying numbers aren’t nearly as promising. The Vikings are 18th in EPA per play and 15th in PFN’s Offense+ metric, which blends various situational EPA and success rate figures.
Their rush offense specifically has been mediocre. When looking at explosive play rate (pct of rushes gaining 10+ yards) vs. rush success rate, the Vikings are in the quadrant where teams are bad at both — below-average explosiveness AND below-average success rate.
While Aaron Jones has had a solid season, the soon-to-be 30-year-old is also taking 56% of the team’s carries, his highest rate since 2019. Jones has already dodged a bullet with a hip injury earlier this season, but the Vikings would be wise to load manage the eighth-year back for the stretch run.
Hubbard could serve as a capable 1B type of runner. In addition to his impressive volume, Hubbard also ranks 10th among running backs with 5.0 yards per carry. That includes 3.5 yards after contact per rush, which also ranks 10th among RBs (just ahead of Saquon Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs).
Carolina doesn’t have a ton of incentive to re-sign Hubbard past 2024. The Panthers are presumably looking to hand over the backfield to rookie second-rounder Jonathon Brooks, who is nearing his debut after a torn ACL ended his collegiate career.
Brooks will likely be activated next week since the Panthers would have to shut him down for the season if they don’t do so.
Jonathon Brooks is not expected to play this week but he has to be activated before early next week or miss the season. Week 10 is in Germany and Week 11 is the Panthers bye. Maybe Week 12 is when we will first see Brooks with an outside chance at Wk10. pic.twitter.com/F89o5uze4a
— Jeff Haseley (@JeffHaseley) November 1, 2024
That could make Sunday a showcase for Hubbard in potentially his final game as the Panthers’ clear lead back. It’s a particularly juicy matchup against a New Orleans Saints defense that ranks 31st with 5.2 yards per rush allowed.
Minnesota has been one of the more pleasant surprises through the first half of the season, but that doesn’t guarantee contention into January. To keep pace with the NFC’s best, the Vikings may need to bolster their depth before Tuesday’s deadline (Nov. 5).