The Vikings are pretty happy to get RB Jordan Mason back from the IR, after he underwent surgery on a fractured thumb in between Weeks 1 and 2. Minnesota has listed him as a full participant in both Wednesday and Thursday’s practices, an indication that he should be a full go this Sunday.
Mason was a must start when Aaron Jones went down with an injury last season, averaging 15 fantasy ppg over a 4 game span. Expect Mason to get a good work load, as the plan going into the season was to split carries, and Jones has been playing through a sprained MCL since Week 2. The Colts run defense ranks 21st in the league in yards allowed per game, so this is a good matchup to shake the rust off for Mason.
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones is listed as the...
The Minnesota Vikings have running back Aaron Jones ...
The Minnesota Vikings are re-signing running back Aaron ...
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Vikings are hopeful to activate RB Jordan Mason (thumb) from IR in time for their Week 7 matchup against the Colts. Mason was placed on IR after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured thumb sustained in Week 1’s win over the Packers.
This news comes as a major relief for the Vikings after tailoring their offseason game plan around Mason’s skill set. In his absence, veteran RB Aaron Jones (PlayerProfiler’s RB 24 in seasonal-redraft) filled in and produced solid total numbers, though his production stemmed more from volume than true efficiency. Reinserting Mason gives Minnesota’s backfield its ideal dual-threat balance, and fantasy football managers can comfortably plug Mason (PlayerProfiler’s RB 41 and rising) back into lineups for Week 7. ~Jason Diaz
Jefferson left the game after getting rolled up on a first-quarter pass. He appeared to try to test it out on the sideline after getting taped up, but was eventually escorted to the locker room before ultimately getting ruled out. After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell implied the injury wasn’t too serious, even saying Jefferson “got close a couple times” to returning to the game, before ultimately being ruled out.
In his absence, Jordan Addison stepped up as the focal point of the passing game, hauling in a 41-yard touchdown in the second quarter, finishing with five catches for 9- yards on 9 targets, leading all other receivers. Aaron Jones (6 targets) and TJ Hockenson (4 targets) were next, on a day where Kyler Murray struggled without his number 1 WR, completing only 15/29 for 168 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
A bit of quiet IR news, as the Minnesota Vikings placed running back Jordan Mason on IR. Mason suffered a hand injury during the Week 1 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. He suffered a small fracture in his thumb that has already been fixed, per coach Kevin O’Connell. He’ll be out for the next four games but should return in Week 6.
That means veteran Aaron Jones looks to be the lone starter in the Vikings’ backfield. Jones produced 63 all-purpose yards in a game in 2025 that Mason missed. We should also expect rookie running back Demond Claiborne to see some action in the short term, along with newly added DeeJay Dallas, with Mason heading to IR. Jones currently ranks as RB28 in PlayerProfiler’s Weekly Rankings and should see the bulk of the work against the Chicago Bears.
Sixth-round rookie Demond Claiborne is generating early summer buzz in Minnesota and has the potential to make an impact in Year 1. Claiborne enters a shallow, fragile backfield behind an aging, 31-year-old Aaron Jones and a one-dimensional grinder Jordan Mason.
Armed with an above-average College Target Share and a 4.37-second 40-yard dash time, Claiborne possesses the exact athletic profile required to earn touches, and his ceiling becomes uncapped if and when Jones goes down with an injury. Claiborne is currently a smash in the third round of dynasty rookie drafts.
The Minnesota Vikings just added some youth to their backfield at No. 198 by drafting Demond Claiborne, an athlete who showed out at the NFL Combine with a 4.37-second 40-yard dash (93rd-percentile) and a massive 106.8 Speed Score. Claiborne posted a dominant 1,049-yard breakout season and chipped in on special teams with a 26.3 yards per kick return average, proving he possesses the elite “home run” gear and the 91st-percentile burst to erase pursuit angles in Kevin O’Connell’s zone-heavy scheme.
In dynasty formats, Claiborne landed in a spot where he can serve as an elite handcuff, with little upside unless there is an injury to incumbent Aaron Jones.
