The Minnesota Vikings are rolling at a perfect 4-0, which is usually cause for celebration, right? But don’t let that record fool you, there’s some serious chatter about their offensive production, or lack thereof, through these first four weeks. The defense and special teams have been nothing short of incredible, carrying the load, but the offense is definitely lagging. One player who absolutely hasn’t been an issue for them? Running back Aaron Jones Sr., who’s stepped into that feature role and just delivered. Yet, incredibly, Week 5 is very likely his final chance to be the Vikings’ feature back this season.
Jordan Mason’s Return Changes Everything
So, why is this happening when Jones Sr. has been so good? The biggest reason is the impending return of Jordan Mason to the backfield. Mason fractured his thumb way back in the Week 1 win against the Green Bay Packers and has been on injured reserve since Week 2. But guess what? After Week 5, he’s eligible to come off IR! And with a Week 6 bye for the Vikings, Mason is going to have plenty of time to get totally ready for a huge role in Week 7. That’s going to eat into Jones’ workload, big time. It’s not a slight on Jones, it’s just the reality of the situation.
Protecting a Veteran
Beyond Mason’s return, there’s another major factor at play here: the Vikings just didn’t want to feature Jones Sr. so heavily in the first place. Again, not because he isn’t a good running back, he’s been incredible to start the season! But he’s a veteran, and he’s had his share of injury issues in the past. It’s simply in the team’s best interest to preserve his health as much as humanly possible, and that means cutting down on his touches moving forward. So, Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, who happen to have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, is a golden opportunity for Jones Sr. to put one more high-volume game on his 2026 resume. The Vikings will still use him plenty, absolutely, but get ready for a significant decrease in volume once Mason is back in the fold. Barring another Mason injury, this is it for Jones as the lead back.
So, get ready for Week 5. It’s the last time we’ll see Aaron Jones Sr. as the primary guy for the Vikings, and he’ll be looking to go out with a bang against the Saints. After that, it’s all about Jordan Mason stepping up and the Vikings figuring out how to balance that backfield to keep their 4-0 run going without the offense falling further behind.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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