https://vikesnow.com/news/2026/vikings-sign-rb-jermar-jefferson/

Vikings Sign RB Jermar Jefferson

The Vikings’ list of JJs keeps growing.

They already have J.J. McCarthy, Justin Jefferson, Jauan Jennings, and Jeshaun Jones. On Wednesday, Minnesota added another, signing running back Jermar Jefferson and releasing Jordan Mims.

The move is a minor transaction in August, but it is a sensible one. Mims had been competing near the bottom of a crowded running back room. Jefferson gives Minnesota another experienced body ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Giants, a player with NFL game experience and a college résumé that once made him one of the more productive runners in the Pac-12.

Jermar Jefferson, 26, entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2021. He is not related to Minnesota’s All-Pro receiver, but his path to the NFL began with a much more prominent college career than his draft status might suggest.

At Oregon State, Jefferson rushed for 2,923 yards and 27 touchdowns in three seasons. His 1,380 rushing yards as a freshman in 2018 remain an Oregon State freshman record, and he added 858 yards and seven touchdowns in six games during the shortened 2020 season. Jefferson averaged 6.5 yards per carry that year and earned Associated Press Pac-12 Co-Offensive Player of the Year honors.

He was productive enough to leave school early, but the NFL has been a far more difficult climb.

Jefferson appeared in seven games as a Detroit rookie, rushing 15 times for 74 yards and two touchdowns. After a couple of seasons on the practice squad, he returned for two games with the Lions in 2024, then appeared in two games with Arizona last season. In 11 career games, he has 21 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns, plus five receptions for 33 yards.

That résumé makes Jefferson a worthwhile late-camp addition, but it also illustrates the challenge ahead.

Minnesota’s top two running backs are set. Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason are listed as co-starters on the Vikings’ first unofficial depth chart. Jones remains the proven all-around option and a trusted receiving back. Mason has created growing buzz with his physical running and big-play ability, including a long touchdown run in Wednesday’s practice.

Behind them, the Vikings list Zavier Scott third and rookie Demond Claiborne fourth.

Scott has NFL experience and has made a case as a dependable reserve who can catch, block and contribute on special teams. Claiborne is a sixth-round rookie with game-changing speed, return ability and draft investment working in his favor. The Vikings also have fullback Max Bredeson, whose role in the offense appears secure.

That leaves Jefferson entering a difficult roster race with limited time to make his case and there’s a good chance he’ll end up on the chopping block later this month.

The simplest route to make his case is the preseason. Jefferson will need to show he can run decisively, protect the football, contribute in the passing game and help on special teams. He does not need to unseat Jones or Mason to matter, but he likely needs to outperform another back in a meaningful way to earn a place on the 53-man roster or practice squad.

The signing also underscores how quickly the lower half of an NFL roster can change. Mims was added only shortly before training camp and now has been replaced by another former late-round pick trying to find his next opportunity.

For Jefferson, Minnesota is another chance to turn a strong college career and limited NFL opportunities into something more lasting.

And for the Vikings, it is another JJ in a building that already has plenty of them.