Vikings Sign an Old Friend
The Vikings are close to completing their preseason schedule. Saturday features a contest in Philadelphia against Nick Sirianni’s Eagles. The starters will likely sit this one out, letting the roster bubble players showcase their skills before cutdown day arrives on August 27. One of those roster bubble guys was added on Thursday.
Vikings Sign an Old Friend
Mo Ibrahim, a former star running back for the Golden Gophers, joins the running back room led by Aaron Jones.
The running back went undrafted in 2023 and subsequently signed with the Detroit Lions. After failing to make the 53-man roster because of an injury, the Lions wanted to keep him around, stashing him on the practice squad.
During a kickoff return in his NFL debut, Ibrahim dislocated his hip and was forced to sit out the remaining contests. He played in one game, logging six special team snaps.
The Vikings don’t have a deep running back room behind top performer Jones, who was acquired in March. Jones signed a one-year contract worth $7 million, and Minnesota’s decision-makers hope he can be an upgrade over last year’s starter Alexander Mattison.
The Vikings employ six running backs in addition to fullback C.J. Ham:
- Aaron Jones
- Ty Chandler
- Kene Nwangwu
- Myles Gaskin
- DeWayne McBride
- Mo Ibrahim
Jones will undoubtedly be the workhorse runner. Third-year player Chandler will spell him after having a breakout final quarter in the 2023 campaign. Nwangwu will continue to be the kick returner, hoping to get more touches on offense.
Gaskin and McBride are Ibrahim’s competition for a potential fourth roster spot or the practice squad.
Ibrahim rushed for 4,668 yards and 53 touchdowns in five college seasons (he missed all but one game in 2021 because of a ruptured Achilles). Both numbers rank him first in program history.
The runner wants to prove the NFL teams wrong and show that he should’ve been drafted last year. Concerns about his top speed were the reason for his tumble on draft day.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft profile: “Hard-hat running back who operated with toughness, vision and a feel for cut timing in the Minnesota inside/outside zone attack. Ibrahim’s decisiveness stands out, but he’s missing an elevated burst to clear second-level tacklers without taking bumps and bruises. He’s not going to run away from NFL defenders, so creativity will be important to keep runs alive. His injury history, paired with his combative running style, could be a concern for some teams, but his no-nonsense running approach and innate feel for the end zone will be easy for coaches to love.”
Chandler and Jones will surely be held out of the preseason finale, leaving a ton of carries for the remaining players.
Ibrahim will turn 26 next month.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt