Jordan Mason is back, but the Vikings can’t ignore his biggest red flag

The Minnesota Vikings activated running back Jordan Mason from injured reserve ahead of Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts. Mason missed four games due to a fractured thumb suffered in Week 1, and the team released DeeJay Dallas to clear a roster spot. His return is expected to relieve Aaron Jones Sr., who has taken on a heavy workload while playing through an MCL sprain.

However, Allison Koehler highlights Mason's pass protection as a significant concern, noting he allowed 11 pressures on 65 pass-blocking snaps in 2025 according to PFF. Koehler argues that while Mason's downhill running helps on early downs, head coach Kevin O'Connell must manage his usage carefully to prevent defensive predictability and avoid third-and-long pass-blocking vulnerabilities.