Demond Claiborne Deserves a Bigger Role With Vikings Despite Quiet Week 2

It wasn't a memorable debut, but that just means the best is yet to come.

Demond Claiborne didn't do much against the Bears in Week 2, but that doesn't mean the rookie RB can't have a bigger role in the Vikings' offense moving forward. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There wasn't a whole lotta offensive excitement in the Vikings' 9-3 win over the rival Bears in Week 2. But hey, a win's a win. That said, one player whom Purple and Gold fans wanted to see more from on Sunday was Demond Claiborne, especially after the rookie running back was a healthy scratch in the season-opening win over the Packers.

The fifth-round pick is an exciting up-and-comer, and the fact that Jordan Mason (thumb) landed on the injured reserve earlier this week had Vikings fans optimistic that Claiborne would get some time to shine. Instead, the 22-year-old RB finished the Week 2 matchup without a carry and with only one target for a two-yard reception.

Although it was a quiet and forgettable regular-season debut for the Wake Forest product, the Vikings have every reason to keep Claiborne in their offensive plans.

There's nowhere for Demond Claiborne to go but up after Week 2

It's easy to look at Claiborne's performance and think, "That's it?" Especially after Vikings fans were clamoring for head coach Kevin O'Connell to give this year's 198th overall selection a chance after keeping him out of the Week 1 lineup.

At the same time, it's hard for Claiborne to produce when Minnesota wasn't giving him anything to work with. Two offensive snaps, especially both passing plays, aren't a large enough sample size to judge anything on. That's even more true when considering that Claiborne isn't exactly known as a receiver, having been targeted just 55 times in 44 games during his time with the Demon Deacons—just 1.3 targets per outing.

He also had eight drops throughout his collegiate career, according to Pro Football Focus, with six in 2025 alone. The Vikings seemingly wanted to avoid Claiborne's pass-catching shortcomings in the preseason, limiting him to one target in three exhibition games compared to 28 carries out of the backfield.

If the Vikings want Demond Claiborne to succeed, they should use him more as a runner and less as a pass-catcher. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was always known that Claiborne needed to make major gains as a pass-catcher once he reached the NFL, so the fact that the Vikings used him exclusively in passing situations was a head-scratcher, to say the least.

DeeJay Dallas's presence certainly didn't help, either. Although the former Seahawk's pair of carries for eight yards wasn't much to write home about, that's still two more opportunities than Claiborne saw. There's also the fact that, earlier in the week, O'Connell had nothing but praise for Dallas, mentioning how he'd see an expanded role with Mason sidelined (h/t).

To have (DeeJay) available to us here has been big. Obviously, with Jordan's situation, he'll probably seen an even more increased role.

Kevin O'Connell on DeeJay Dallas

The Vikings also seem content with funneling the majority of the run game through Aaron Jones Sr., who finished Week 2 with 23 of the team's 28 carries (82.1%). That's a stark difference from having 12-of-34 carries (35.3%) last week. That said, Jones only hit the 20-carry mark once in 2025 (Week 16) and three times in 2024 (Weeks 4, 9 and 12), and making that his new norm would be playing a risky game as his 32nd birthday looms in December.

Giving more opportunities to Claiborne, at least while Mason is out, will take pressure off Jones's shoulders and help keep his legs fresh for much longer. Dallas is also known for his special teams prowess, and he can remain more involved on that side of the ball if the Vikings trust Claiborne with more rushing opportunities.

It'll be interesting to see if the Vikings give Claiborne a bigger chance when they head to the road to take on the Buccaneers in Week 3. Tampa Bay has been solid at defending the ground so far, limiting Cincinnati to 106 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries in Week 1 and holding Cleveland to a measly 45 yards on 22 carries before Sunday's contest was postponed due to lightning in the fourth quarter.

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