Packers Pick Up a Released Vikings Defender
Not much has been going right for the Minnesota Vikings this season. In last week’s game against the Seattle Seahawks — a 26-0 blowout — at least the defense played well and slowed down Sam Darnold’s explosive passing attack. They did that despite the cornerback concerns that have been there for half a decade.
Packers Pick Up a Released Vikings Defender
Last month, the Minnesota Vikings added a young cornerback to the practice squad. Sophomore Shemar Bartholomew was employed by the purple team for about two weeks before his release.
This week, he just crossed the border and signed with the Green Bay Packers’ practice squad.
Prior to joining the Vikings, Bartholomew travelled around the country and logged workout after workout, including one with the Packers.
SB Nation’s Justis Mosqueda wrote, “Bartholomew originally worked out with the Packers back in early November, but the team elected not to sign him then. A week later, he joined the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad, where he spent two weeks before being released last week. Before his workout with Green Bay, Bartholomew had worked out with the Houston Texans, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, Denver Broncos, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers this season. There are probably few players in the NFL who have racked up more miles than him in 2025.”
Unlike the Vikings, Green Bay is still in the thick of things. The 8-3-1 Packers are just half a win behind the Chicago Bears for the lead in the NFC North. Their cornerback group has raised some concerns throughout the year. Bartholomew won’t erase those, but he’ll provide depth.
After playing his college ball at Northwestern State (2018-2022), Bartholomew spent his final year (2023) at Georgia Southern.
In the 2024 draft, he went unselected, and the New York Jets added him to their offseason roster. With the Jets, the 6-foot corner played the entire preseason, and he was lights out, allowing only two catches and zero receiving yards on nine targets. That’s why four teams submitted waiver claims for the defender after the Jets waived him at the end of the preseason.
The Carolina Panthers won that race, and he was part of that franchise for the entire 2024 season. He appeared in five games, logged a couple of pass deflections and three tackles on 17 defensive snaps and 34 on special teams, but he failed to crack the lineup for the long run. His second preseason — still with the Panthers — didn’t go as smoothly as the first one with the Jets and he was waived once again.
After his various workouts, the Vikings ended his job search, but he didn’t survive long in the State of 10,000 Lakes. The Packers snagged him.
Green Bay will come to Minnesota in Week 18. The corner is unlikely to be part of that gameday rotation, but an injury or two could open the door for him to gain some playing time.
The remaining CBs on the Vikings’ practice squad are Zemaiah Vaughn and Tyrek Funderburk.
Byron Murphy, Isaiah Rodgers, Fabian Moreau, and Dwight McGlothern are on the 53-man roster, while Jeff Okudah is on IR.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.