The Minnesota Vikings may be heading into Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers without another key piece in the backfield.
Jordan Mason is already on injured reserve after fracturing his thumb in the season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers, and Aaron Jones is now dealing with a knee issue that left him out of Wednesday’s practice. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert reported that Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said the Pro Bowler is not guaranteed to suit up this weekend.
Jones carried the load in Week 2, going for 105 yards on 23 carries in Minnesota’s 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears. That was his heaviest rushing workload in a single game since Week 10 of the 2022 season. He finished that game wearing a knee brace, and the team had already planned to keep him off the practice field Wednesday.
Still, O’Connell said the 31-year-old is feeling “pretty good.”
“We'll just keep getting treatment around the clock,” O’Connell said, “and see if we can pick up his workload as the week goes on.”
Minnesota has been preparing for the possibility that Jones won’t be available. The Vikings promoted DeeJay Dallas to the active roster last week and also signed Jerome Ford and Jaret Patterson to the practice squad.
Dallas has logged a small role so far, picking up 21 yards on four touches across Minnesota’s first two games. The former fourth-round pick, who spent last season with the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars, could see a much bigger workload if Jones can’t go.
The Vikings also have rookie Demond Claiborne as an option. He made his NFL debut last Sunday, catching a 2-yard pass and playing just two snaps.
Sunday’s matchup between the Vikings and Buccaneers is set for 4:05 p.m. ET.
In Other News...
Vikings Suddenly Face A JJ McCarthy Decision They Didn't Expect
With Kyler Murray back from a concussion, the Vikings are heading into their matchup with the Buccaneers in a much more familiar spot at quarterback, but the ripple effects around the position have created an unexpected subplot. Carson Wentz is still in place as the backup and JJ McCarthy remains third on the depth chart, yet McCarthys name has started surfacing in wider league chatter because teams are always scanning for quarterback help when injuries hit.
One recent suggestion from NFL reporter Gary Myers had the Giants weighing a possible trade for McCarthy after concern around Jaxson Darts status, a reminder that even a teams developmental quarterbacks can become part of bigger conversations quickly. Nothing has been confirmed on that front, and Minnesota is still sorting its own depth chart for the immediate future, but the buzz adds another layer to a week that already had the Vikings focused on getting ready for Tampa Bay. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fans Face A Frustrating Week 3 TV Problem
The Vikings Week 3 trip to Tampa Bay is set up to be a little more annoying than usual for fans trying to follow along on Sunday. The game will land in FOXs late afternoon window, but the over-the-air broadcast footprint is limited, with coverage centered mainly in parts of the Midwest, Florida, Houston, New England, Pittsburgh and the Indianapolis/Cincinnati market.
For Minnesota viewers outside those pockets, the lack of an early FOX game in the local window makes this one harder to find on a traditional channel, since CBS has the doubleheader this week. So unless the game happens to fall into your local market, the live option will likely be a streaming service such as YouTube TV NFL Sunday Ticket, which is a familiar inconvenience for fans who just want a straightforward way to watch their team on Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
JJ McCarthy Just Got Pulled Into A Surprise Giants Scenario
Jaxson Darts knee injury has quickly turned a Giants quarterback question into something much bigger, with the team now weighing whether the rookies recovery could end up requiring surgery. For Minnesota, the ripple effect is more of an outside-the-building storyline than an immediate roster issue, but it has still been enough to pull JJ McCarthy into the conversation as New York looks for possible backup answers.
McCarthy has not been linked to any official pursuit from the Giants, and there has been no public indication that they are close to making a move. Still, the idea has surfaced because of how fluid the situation is in New York, where the next step depends on how the injury and recovery play out. For now, it is just speculation, but it is the kind that tends to linger until the Giants make their direction clear. [Read more 🡒]