The Minnesota Vikings suddenly face a serious backfield problem heading into their NFL Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jordan Mason is already on injured reserve after undergoing surgery for a fractured thumb, and now Aaron Jones missed Wednesday’s practice while dealing with an injury of his own.
Jones’ availability for Sunday is not guaranteed, potentially leaving Minnesota without its top two running backs at the same time.
Aaron Jones misses Wednesday’s practice
Jones was unable to practice Wednesday after emerging from Minnesota’s Week 2 victory over the Chicago Bears with some soreness. The veteran running back tweaked his knee during the game but was able to return and finish the contest. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said afterward that Jones was “pretty sore.”
Despite the issue, Jones carried a massive workload with Mason unavailable. The 31-year-old rushed 23 times for 105 yards in Minnesota’s 9-3 victory, establishing himself as the Vikings’ unquestioned lead back while Mason is sidelined.
The problem is that Minnesota may now have to prepare for the possibility of Jones being unavailable against Tampa Bay. His absence Wednesday doesn’t automatically mean he will miss the game, but his participation Thursday and Friday will be worth monitoring closely.
Vikings already without Jordan Mason
Minnesota was already dealing with a significant blow at running back before Jones’ injury surfaced.
Mason underwent surgery after testing revealed a fractured thumb and was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 16. O’Connell said he doesn’t anticipate the injury keeping Mason out beyond the short-term IR window, but he must miss at least four games. That guarantees Mason will be unavailable against Tampa Bay.
If Jones also can’t play, the Vikings would be left with DeeJay Dallas and rookie Demond Claiborne as their healthy running backs on the active roster. Minnesota also signed veteran Jaret Patterson to the practice squad Tuesday, giving the team another option if additional depth is needed.
The Vikings are 2-0, and they received good news this week with quarterback Kyler Murray clearing concussion protocol and returning for Week 3. But the offense could now have another major obstacle to overcome.
Mason is already out. If Jones can’t get back on the practice field later this week, Minnesota could enter Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers without either of its top two running backs.
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