The Minnesota Vikings placed running back Jordan Mason on injured reserve Wednesday after surgery to repair a fractured right thumb, Field Level Media reported.
Mason will miss at least four games. Coach Kevin O’Connell said he is hopeful Mason can return once that minimum is up.
The injury went unnoticed at first. O’Connell said he was unsure when Mason was hurt during the 39-22 season-opening win over the Green Bay Packers. Mason reported soreness in the thumb to the team Monday.
O’Connell said that day the thumb was being evaluated. By Wednesday, the diagnosis was a small fracture, and the Vikings said it had been fixed.
Mason led the backfield in the opener with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Minnesota has a bye in Week 6, so the four-game minimum carries him to Week 7. His earliest possible return is Oct. 25 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Aaron Jones Sr. now takes over the lead role. Jones split the work with Mason against Green Bay and ran 12 times for 40 yards and a touchdown.
The depth behind Jones is thin.
The Vikings signed veteran DeeJay Dallas to the active roster. Dallas made a key block on Myles Price’s 68-yard kickoff return that sparked the comeback against the Packers.
Rookie Demond Claiborne, a healthy scratch in Week 1, is also expected to be available.
Mason, 27, is in his fifth NFL season. He has 2,070 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in 62 career games, with 11 starts.
In 2025, he ran for 770 yards and six touchdowns while mostly serving as Jones’ backup. His contract runs through the 2026 season.
The Vikings’ offense is shorthanded Sunday at Chicago.
Quarterback Kyler Murray is out with a concussion, so Carson Wentz starts. Wentz threw three touchdown passes in relief against Green Bay. Receiver Jauan Jennings is also out for personal reasons.
Chicago rolled up 291 rushing yards in a 59-37 win over the Carolina Panthers in its opener.
Should Mason return on schedule, he would rejoin a backfield Jones has carried for more than a month. The Vikings visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 27 at 4:05 p.m. ET.
