The Minnesota Vikings have weathered the offensive storm over the last three weeks without running back Jordan Mason, and head coach Kevin O’Connell said the turmoil should come to an end following the team’s contest against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5.
Minnesota has a bye following its contest in Louisiana this weekend, and O’Connell confirmed on Friday, October 9 that Mason should be back in action by the time the Vikings return to field against the Indianapolis Colts on October 25 at U.S. Bank Stadium.
“#Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says he expects Jordan Mason (thumb) to be activated off IR after the team’s bye week, meaning he should be back for week 7 against the #Colts,” the VikingzFanPage X account posted Friday. “Mason’s return would be huge for the run game.”
Mason fractured his thumb during the Vikings’ Week 1 contest against the Green Bay Packers and subsequently went on the injured reserve list (IR). He has not played since.
Jordan Mason Key to Vikings’ Plans in Run Game This Season
The Vikings inked Mason to a two-year contract worth $10.5 million ahead of the 2025 campaign. And while he is pretty much a one-path player, his ability to function as the team’s primary rusher has proven important over the past year-plus.
Mason, now 27 years old, hauled the rock 159 times for 758 yards and six TDs across 16 appearances, including five starts, during his first campaign in Minnesota. He averaged 4.8 yards per attempt.
He logged 15 carries for 59 yards and one score against Green Bay before his thumb injury.
Vikings Asking Good Deal of Running Back Aaron Jones Sr. Amid Jordan Mason’s Injury Absence
The dual-headed attack of the Vikings’ offensive backfield in 2025 made sense, as Mason limited the workload on the shoulders of veteran RB Aaron Jones Sr.
Jones rushed the football just 132 times last season for 548 yards and two scores across 12 games played. Instead, the offense utilized him more in the passing game, with 41 targets that amounted to 28 grabs for 199 yards and one TD. Meanwhile, Mason saw just 16 targets, over which he made 14 receptions and gained 51 yards.
Minnesota brought Jones back on a one-year deal worth $5 million in 2026 for his age-32 campaign. But after Mason went down early in the season, the Vikings have leaned hard on the veteran.
Jones has tallied 20 carries per contest over the last three weeks and a total of 23 touches per game across that span. He has been better than good considering his age, injury history and 10 years of tread on his NFL tires, producing 297 yards and one score on 72 carries. Jones has added nine catches for 68 yards on 15 targets.
That usage rate is probably not sustainable for Jones at this point in his career, but if the Vikings can get through one more game with a victory, they will head into the bye week with an undefeated 5-0 record and a strong chance of relative health across the offense on the other side of the break.
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