Through the first five games of the 2026 season, the Minnesota Vikings have placed a major emphasis on running the football for what feels like the first time since Kevin O'Connell became the team's head coach in 2022.
Heading into Week 7, the Vikings rank fourth in the NFL with 30.4 rushing attempts per game. That average is significantly higher than last season, when Minnesota only ranked 27th in the league in rushing attempts per matchup with 24.1.
What has been the most surprising part about Minnesota's newfound commitment to running the ball has been the fact that they've done most of it without running back Jordan Mason, as he was on injured reserve for four of the team's first five games after breaking his thumb in Week 1.
But now, it seems like Mason could be making his return to the field, and it could happen as early as the Vikings' upcoming Week 7 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts.
Vikings designate Jordan Mason to return from injured reserve on Monday
As Minnesota's Week 6 bye comes to a close, the team announced on Monday that they have designated Mason to return from injured reserve.
This means the veteran running back can begin practicing this week, and the Vikings will have the next three weeks to decide if they want to add him back to the active roster or not.
Based on what ESPN's Kevin Seifert shared following the announcement on Monday, though, it seems like Mason has a good chance to be back in uniform for Minnesota when they take on the Colts in six days inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
"The Vikings have designated RB Jordan Mason (finger/hand) for return from IR and he will practice Wednesday. Lots of optimism he will be ready for Sunday’s game."
If Mason is able to return for the Vikings in Week 7, it would not only be great news for the team's rushing attack, but fellow running back Aaron Jones will likely be very thankful to possibly lighten his workload for the remainder of the season.
Jones is certainly not the biggest running back in the NFL at 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds, but Minnesota has basically treated him as their bell cow in the team's last four games due to Mason's injury and inexperience behind him on the depth chart.
During the Vikings' five matchups so far this year, Jones has already finished with at least 20 total touches (rushing attempts and catches) in a game four times. With Minnesota last season, he only had 20 or more total touches in just two of his 12 appearances.
With Mason returning, Jones should be able to get back to a weekly workload of 10 to 15 touches that he's more used to, which should also help his chances of remaining available for the rest of the season.
The Vikings managed to survive the first five weeks of the 2026 campaign without Mason for the majority of the time. But if Minnesota is going to truly have an effective rushing attack this season, they're going to need both Mason and Jones available as much as possible.
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