Tuesday came with two major roster moves for Vikings. With Brett Thorson expected to miss significant time due to his hamstring injury, the Vikings urgently needed depth pieces to fill in the vacant spots.
Those additions came Tuesday, as ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the Vikings signing Ex-Chargers running back and veteran free agent Jaret Patterson to the practice squad.
Vikings Sign Jaret Patterson, Johnny Hekker
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo also reported another signing, or rather bringing back the same player who the Vikings cut to give Thorson a chance, Johnny Hekker.
Patterson, who was with the Chargers in 2025, provides depth for Minnesota, which is dealing with injuries at running back.
The news came right after the Vikings worked out eight players on Tuesday, including both Hekker and Patterson.
While Hekker’s signing came as the obvious answer to the gap left by Thorson’s injury, Patterson’s signing hints at head coach Kevin O’Connell looking to build more running back depth, veteran depth in particular, behind Aaron Jones. They had a ton of questions at running back with Jordan Mason still on IR for at least three more weeks.
DeeJay Dallas and Demond Claiborne suited up as RB2 and RB3 against the Bears, meaning and Patterson will need to now compete for a role alongside Jerome Ford, added last week to the practice squad, for a spot on the 53-man roster.
He has an edge, though, with all the experience he has.
As an undrafted rookie free agent out of Buffalo, Patterson signed with the Washington Commanders in 2021. He had a two-year stint there, appearing in 20 total games and earning one start. Then, after back-and-forth between the Commanders and Chargers practice squads, he spent 2024 and 2025 on the Chargers practice squad, bouncing on and off the practice squad last season. He did make seven appearances for Jim Harbaugh before being let go this offseason.
All said, Patterson has 503 rushing yards and three TDs on the ground, as well as 13 receptions for 81 yards.
Vikings Sign Ex-Chargers Running Back to Practice Squad