Vikings Weapon Gets His One Big Shot
Aaron Jones is out, and Jordan Mason is in.
In Week 3, one Minnesota Vikings playmaker begins his quest to nail down a starter’s job in the NFL, possibly never relinquishing the duty.
That’s the state of play for the Minnesota Vikings after injuries have completely and totally ransacked the depth chart. Mason will take over the RB1 job from Jones this weekend, and it’s his one big chance to prove he’s worthy of the job title for the next few years.
A New RB1 for the Vikings
Does Mason have the juice for the top job?
Jordan Mason Auditions for Longterm RB1 Job
Many fans believed this moment would come in 2025 — just not this soon.
Jones won’t be back until Week 8 — over a month from now. Therefore, Mason, the RB2 all throughout the summer, will get his shot at the bright lights of the starting tailback job in Minnesota. He’s averaged 4.1 yards per carry through two games, which is decent but a drop from his customary 5.0+ in his career.
At age 26, Mason’s time is now, and with a few games of impressive performances, it’s his job to lose. There’s a world where Minnesota simply doesn’t switch back to Jones; the RB1 title could belong to Mason.
Aaron Jones Out for 4 Games
Jones is no stranger to injuries, hamstring troubles, or missed games. In fact, it’s his one big weakness, and if you hang out with a Green Bay Packers fan for longer than two minutes, she’ll make sure to mention it.
Minnesota traded for Mason with the San Francisco 49ers in March for this very reason, hedging the bet for a Jones injury, which inconveniently arrived right away in the 2025 regular season.
This was probably destined to happen, Jones missing games, so now it’s Mason’s turn.
Mason More Productive Anyway
Meanwhile, Mason has looked better through two games than Jones in the first place. Few dispute it.
Mason has outsnapped, outcarried, and outproduced Jones in the small sample, so much so that fans were chanting for more Mason and less Jones through two quarters of the first game against the Chicago Bears.
Jones will turn 31 in December, and his career’s prime is in the rearview. Mason, conversely, is smack dab in the middle of his prime. It’s all setting up for a longterm stay in the Twin Cities, so long as he doesn’t flunk the test in the next month.
Again — it’s all up to Mason.
Chance to Be Vikings’ RB1 for a Few Years
Listen, the Vikings desperately need to fix their rushing offense. Kevin O’Connell arrived on the scene over three years ago, and although he’s universally beloved by the team’s fans, the man just can’t figure out a sustainable rushing offense. Nothing works consistently. And when the rushing offense doesn’t take off in a given game, O’Connell often abandons the process and asks his quarterback to throw, throw, and throw some more.
Of course, O’Connell isn’t diametrically opposed to running the ball. He just never seems to have an elite bellcow RB1 to trust. Mason may not be Saquon Barkley or Bijan Robinson, but if he can play at 75% of those players’ level, O’Connell might finally adhere to a balanced playcalling regimen.
Mason could parley this RB1 gig into a job that lasts years, not weeks.
More Mason Context
The Viking Age‘s Anthony Miller opined on Mason and Minnesota’s rushing offense this week: “Minnesota had the perfect combination in the backfield with Jones’ speed and Mason’s power, making for a great thunder and lightning duo. Jones hasn’t particularly played well through two games, as Mason has been the superior back.”
“Last year with the 49ers, Mason showed glimpses of his potential to be a leading back after 789 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. The most important stat? He’s only lost one fumble of his 260 career carries in three NFL seasons. The Vikings have a back who can be reliable with protecting the football and not drop it on the ground. He also averages 4.1 yards a carry on the season, so he will pick up those extra yards.”
The Vikings arguably haven’t showcased upper-echelon running back play since 2021 with Dalvin Cook.
“Mason will have training camp darling Zavier Scott as his backup after a solid preseason. Vikings fans can still expect Mason to get most of the carries in the backfield to try to alleviate the pressure from quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings added another element to the backfield on Tuesday with the signing of Cam Akers,” Miller continued.
“Akers is on his third stint with Minnesota and may not receive the same amount of touches as Mason or Scott, but he is familiar with Kevin O’Connell’s system from their time together with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020 and 2021. Depending on when Jones is back, whether that is in four games or longer, it could be a tough run without him, but if Mason breaks out as a star, at least the Vikings will have their back of the future already on the roster.”
It’s not a one-game trial for Mason, but the next month will determine if he’s an honest-to-goodness RB1 for the long haul.
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