Alexander Mattison Didn't Expect to Return to Vikings, Wants to 'Maximize' Opportunity

Alexander Mattison didn't think he'd be back with the Vikings this offseason.

Set to hit free agency after four years in Minnesota, Mattison thought the first-round playoff loss against the Giants would be his last time in a Vikings uniform. Backups aren't often retained on second contracts, and with Dalvin Cook entrenched as the starting running back, Mattison figured he'd have a better opportunity to play elsewhere.

That helps explain why he looked so forlorn as that loss to the Giants became reality. He hung his head on the sidelines, hugged teammates, and said goodbye to the home crowd at U.S. Bank Stadium for what he believed would be the final time.

"I actually didn't think that I'd be back in Minnesota," Mattison said in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio. "So it's a blessing to be back, to be in a place where I spent the first four years of my career and loved it there. To be there, be a part of this team, this locker room, the ownership, the staff, it's a great place to be, so I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and with this opportunity in front of me, I just see so much upside."

Mattison spent the first four years of his career backing up Cook, who he grew very close with. He had some big performances over the years when Cook missed time due to injury, but those opportunities were sporadic.

So it was a little surprising when the Vikings re-signed Mattison on a two-year, $7 million deal in free agency. What was less surprising was when the team wound up releasing Cook three months later for salary reasons. Now, as he enters his fifth year, Mattison is preparing to be a full-time starting running back in the NFL for the first time.

Even though he always prepares like he's going to play, he admitted that this offseason feels a little different.

"It definitely changes things," Mattison said. "I like to go into every season preparing like I'm the back. That's kind of where my mindset has always been. That's kind of where we, as a running back group, held ourselves to that standard. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for having Dalvin in that running back room and challenging me to challenge him every single day, so that kind of helped me out within my preparation.

"With that understanding of knowing kind of where my role is going to be and maximize it," he added. "I've been a lot more prepared in the way of understanding where I'm going to be at in the playbook, where I'm going to have to be at physically, my stamina. It's just a whole bunch that I have to now take into account."

The Vikings have a trio of young running backs — Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu, and DeWayne McBride — who will push him, but this is Mattison's backfield for now. It's going to be fascinating to see what he can do with this kind of opportunity.

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