The Minnesota Vikings are 4-0 in the regular season, but there is significant concern about the offensive production through the first four weeks of the season.
While the defense and special teams units have looked incredible thus far, the offense is lagging behind. One player who hasn’t been an issue for Minnesota this season on offense has been Aaron Jones Sr., who’s stepped into the feature role through the first four weeks.
However, as ESPN’s Kevin Seifert highlighted, Week 5 is likely Jones’ last chance to be the Vikings’ featured running back this season. There are multiple reasons; one, the biggest being the impending return of Jordan Mason to the backfield after this weekend.
Why Week 5 is last chance for Aaron Jones Sr. to be Vikings’ feature RB
“RB Aaron Jones Sr. is entering what is likely the final week of the heaviest early-season workload in his career,” Seifert writes.
Mason, who fractured his thumb in the Vikings’ Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers, has been on injured reserve since Week 2, and after Week 5, he’ll be eligible to come off IR.
With a Week 6 bye, Mason should have plenty of time to get ready for a big role in Week 7 coming out of the bye. That alone is going to eat into Jones’ work significantly.
Besides, the veteran running back is not someone the Vikings wanted to feature so heavily in this offense. Not because he isn’t a good running back, but because he’s a veteran who has dealt with injury issues in the past.
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Simply put, it’s in the Vikings’ best interest to preserve Jones’ health as much as possible, and that likely means reducing his workload going forward.
Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, one of the worst defenses in the NFL, is a great opportunity for Jones to put one more high-volume game on his 2026 resume before his workload is diminished.
Minnesota will still use him plenty going forward, but the expectation is a significant decrease in volume once Mason is back in the fold.
Jones has been incredible for the Vikings to begin the season, but Week 5 is likely the final time he’ll be the lead back for Minnesota all season long, barring another injury to Mason.
