The bye week provided a perfect opportunity for the Vikings to get healthy and regroup.
Now, in Week 7, the Vikings have plenty of things to figure out ahead of the upcoming NFL trade deadline, and this matchup against the Colts may be the ideal platform to determine the best path forward.
So with a 6-0 start and potential future deals on the line, here are three changes I would make if I were in head coach Kevin O'Connell's shoes against the Colts this weekend.
1. Ride Jordan Mason
Jordan Mason has logged multiple full practices this week, and looks like a full go for Sunday after spending the last four weeks on injured reserve with a fractured thumb. With the recent news that Aaron Jones's banged-up knee is actually a sprained MCL, there's really no reason not to lean on Mason heavily against Indianapolis.
Giving Mason a good look on Sunday is more than just letting Jones get a breather; it's also a chance to see if the Vikings duo can perform well enough to hold off on a trade deadline deal. If Mason returns with some energy, Minnesota potentially strides past the Nov. 10 deadline without adding another back.
Either way, getting Mason involved again will be a huge boost to the work-in-progress offense.
2. Keep Odell Beckham Jr. on the bench (for now)
Beckham has been coming along just fine since joining the Vikings two weeks ago, according to O'Connell, but he should take another back seat in Week 7 for one very good reason.
Despite the temptation to see what Beckham can do, the Vikings still need to find out whether Jauan Jennings will be part of this team going forward. Trying to work Beckham in while also implementing some looks for Jennings is just too convoluted.
Ideally, Jennings shows some juice and leaves Beckham as some valuable veteran insurance down the road. But if the disappointing free agent drops another dud, the Vikings may look to fire up the trade machine.
Beckham, meanwhile, has no trade value, and the Vikings shouldn't be in a rush to put him on the field. He can sit and learn the playbook for another week while O'Connell and general manager Nolan Teasley figure out Jennings' situation.
3. Level up Jake Golday
The second-rounder has played just seven defensive snaps this season, but after some strong special teams play, it might be time to give rookie linebacker Jake Golday some run on defense.
Golday forced a fumble on a kickoff return against the Saints, and may parlay that into a bigger role. Typically, Ivan Pace Jr. has been the first linebacker off the bench, but after logging just five and then two snaps over the last two contests, he may be falling out of favor. Enter Golday, who has seen action at both edge and off-ball linebacker and should now be in line for possibly double-digit snaps on defense.
The Vikings' rookie class hasn't been incredibly impactful in 2026, but maybe Golday can change that trend, starting this week against the Colts.
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