Jordan Mason’s Week 2 availability is suddenly something to watch in Minnesota.
Before taking questions from reporters on Monday, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Mason is dealing with a thumb injury after the team’s Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers. O'Connell didn’t strike an especially worried tone, but the Vikings’ move on Tuesday suggested the team may be taking the issue more seriously than it first appeared.
Minnesota worked out several running backs that day, and that list included Jerome Ford, Kenny McIntosh and Ulysses Bentley IV. The Vikings will provide a clearer picture when they release their first injury report of Week 2 on Wednesday.
Ford brings the most experience of the group. A former fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, he has been in the league since 2022 and spent his first four seasons with Cleveland, including 2024, when he ran for 813 yards and four touchdowns on 204 carries while also catching 44 passes for 319 yards and five more scores. In 57 career games for the Browns, including 18 starts, Ford later signed with the Washington Commanders in March, only to be released before the regular season with an injury settlement.
McIntosh is a familiar name for Minnesota general manager Nolan Teasley, who was part of the Seattle Seahawks’ front office when the team drafted the former Georgia back in the seventh round in 2023. McIntosh has played in 20 games, all with Seattle, and has 172 rushing yards on 31 carries.
Bentley’s path has been much shorter. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss in 2025, spent most of last season on the Colts’ practice squad and was released earlier this month. He appeared in one game for Indianapolis and logged one rushing attempt.
If Mason can’t go against the Chicago Bears in Week 2, Minnesota still has some cover in the backfield. Aaron Jones will be there, and he handled the bulk of the work as the Vikings’ RB1 after joining the team in 2024. In the opener against Green Bay, Jones rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
DeeJay Dallas was also active in Week 1, and the expectation is that he would be active again whether Mason plays or not. If Mason is sidelined, rookie Demond Claiborne would likely be in line to make his regular-season debut after sitting out the Packers game as one of three inactive Vikings rookies.
For now, Minnesota appears to be waiting on Wednesday’s injury report to see where things stand. The workout session on Tuesday at least opened the door to the possibility that Mason’s thumb issue is more than a minor nuisance.
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