The Pittsburgh Steelers must be prepared for one player against the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in Ireland to battle the Minnesota Vikings this Sunday, and while Justin Jefferson is unquestionably the main Vikings player most would recognize, another major threat has emerged that could actually present the Steelers with their most significant problem: running back Jordan Mason.

Mason may have established himself as Minnesota's No. 1 back ahead of Aaron Jones thanks to two outstanding performances thus far in 2025, most recently carrying the ball 16 times for 116 yards and a couple of touchdowns last Sunday.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic has identified Mason as the one player Pittsburgh must focus on in this tough matchup, particularly considering how poor the Steelers' run defense has been through the first three weeks.

"He is the complete package, a power runner who can also run away from you in the open field, and a good pass blocker who can probably be used more as a receiver as well," Krawczynski wrote of Mason. "He’s facing a Steelers defense that is giving up 139.3 yards per game. They have struggled to tackle in the early going this season — hard to imagine from a franchise with such a proud history on that side of the ball. Mason is hard for even the best defenses to tackle."

Mason enjoyed a breakout campaign with the San Francisco 49ers last season, rushing for 789 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry in 12 games. The Vikings signed him as a complement to Jones in free agency, but instead of serving as a reliable No. 2, Mason has emerged as Minnesota's top halfback in the early stages of the year.

The Steelers are typically a stout defense in general, so the fact that they are struggling so much in defending the run is definitely surprising. Perhaps Pittsburgh's defense will right the ship in Week 4, but there is no question that this will represent quite a challenge for Mike Tomlin's club.

The Steelers have gotten off to a 2-1 start in spite of their defensive struggles, so we'll see if they can hold the Vikings in check.