A former Detroit Lions running back is looking for a new job just two days before the start of the NFL season.
The Minnesota Vikings announced on Friday that they released veteran running back Jermar Jefferson, who had initially been waived by the team at final roster cutdowns and returned with an injury designation. The team has now reached a settlement that allowed Jefferson to hit the open market, though he now faces an uncertain future.
Jermar Jefferson Hits the NFL Open Market
The 26-year-old Jefferson came into the NFL as a seventh-round pick of the Lions in 2021, spending his first four seasons there while appearing in just nine games. Jefferson has bounced around the NFL, spending time with the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, and Tennessee Titans before signing with the Vikings this offseason.
Jefferson has split time on special teams with only a light role on offense, taking 21 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns in his career.
Jefferson endured a rough preseason. Prior to his injury, he was hit with NFL punishment for a facemask penalty in the team’s 34-6 loss to the Denver Broncos. The league handed Jefferson a $5,583 fine for the infraction.
Jermar Jefferson Recovering From Injury
The Vikings did not disclose Jefferson’s injury when initially cutting ties with him prior to the roster deadline. The team placed him on season-ending injured reserve when he returned, but gave no further details on his injury or how long he could miss before returning to the field.
As CBS Sports noted, he had shown some promise in the preseason.
“Jefferson had a solid preseason, rushing 11 times for 74 yards over three contests,” the report noted. “The running back was waived Sunday and cleared waivers, meaning he is set to spend the entirety of the 2026 regular season on IR. If Jefferson would like to sign with another team, he will need to reach an injury settlement with the Vikings to become a free agent.”
The Lions are dealing with their own injury in the backfield. The team added veteran running back Isiah Pacheco to back up Jahmyr Gibbs and replace some of the production lost with David Montgomery’s departure, but Pacheco was placed on injured reserve after suffering an MCL sprain.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell said earlier this month that Pacheco was showing signs of improvement, leading to hope that he could return sometime soon after missing the mandated four weeks for an injured reserve stint.
“He’s another one, I can’t give you anything definitive. And he is feeling better as of yesterday,” Campbell said, via ESPN. “I mean, it’s been a little touch and go right now. He’s had a little bit of a back, and we’re hoping he’s coming out of this as of yesterday a little bit.”
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