The Minnesota Vikings added running back Jerome Ford to their practice squad on Wednesday, a move that followed Jordan Mason’s placement on injured reserve with a thumb fracture, via the NFL transaction wire.
Minnesota also promoted DeeJay Dallas from the practice squad to the active roster.
Ford, 27, worked out for the Vikings on Tuesday after a brief, injury-shortened stay with the Washington Commanders.
The Commanders signed him in March to a one-year deal and later released him with an injury settlement. Before that, Ford spent four seasons with the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him in the fifth round (156th overall) in 2022 out of Cincinnati.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound back has 1,463 rushing yards in his NFL career, averaging 4.3 yards per carry on 340 attempts with seven rushing touchdowns.
He has also been a useful receiver, catching 107 passes for 647 yards and five scores, and has 1,405 kick-return yards. His best season came in 2023, when he rushed for 813 yards and four touchdowns and added 319 receiving yards and five scores while Nick Chubb recovered from injury.
In 2024, he posted 565 rushing yards at 5.4 yards per carry. His role shrank in 2025 behind younger backs, and a shoulder injury ended that season on injured reserve.
Minnesota’s backfield still features veteran Aaron Jones and 2026 sixth-round pick Demond Claiborne on the 53-man roster. Dallas, a former Seahawks fourth-rounder known for special-teams work and receiving, gives the team another experienced option while Mason is expected to miss at least four games.
Ford’s combination of inside running, pass-catching, and return experience makes him a logical practice-squad addition if Minnesota needs another body later in the season.
Ford began his college career at Alabama before transferring to Cincinnati, where he earned first-team All-AAC honors in 2021 after rushing for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns.
That production helped land him in the fifth round, and he spent his first NFL season mostly as a kick returner before becoming a featured piece of Cleveland’s offense in 2023 and 2024.
For now, Ford’s job is to stay ready on the practice squad. The Vikings have shown interest in veteran depth at the position after Mason’s injury, and Ford’s track record as a complementary back gives Minnesota a player who has already produced in the league.
Whether he is elevated during Mason’s absence will depend on health, game-plan needs, and how Dallas and Claiborne perform.
The signing is a low-risk move for a team looking to keep its running-back room intact early in the 2026 season.
