Vikings RB Returns after Brief Hiccup

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

That didn’t take long.

Vikings RB Returns after Brief Hiccup

After two days on the NFL’s Non-Football-Injury (NFI) list, Minnesota Vikings running back DeWayne McBride has returned to training camp, an event that kicked off earlier this week.

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports.

Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Wednesday, “Kevin O’Connell said DeWayne McBride has cleared the NFI list and will be a full participant going forward. NaJee Thompson, who starts camp on PUP, is dealing with a left knee injury, [head coach Kevin] O’Connell said.”

McBride’s return is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First, sometimes NFI list adventures linger and remain mysterious until the start of the regular season. That isn’t the case anymore for McBride. Then, the Vikings need an RB3 to step up in 2024, and McBride is a reasonable candidate for the job. After Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler at the top of the ticket, McBride, kick returner Kene Nwangwu, and veteran Myles Gaskin will contend for the third running back job. Minnesota, too, could sign a free agent like Darrell Henderson or Kareem Hunt, who live on the open market.

Good Call
Minnesota quarterback Jaren Hall (16) tosses the ball to running back DeWayne McBride (37) as they face the Titans at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. © Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Last August, McBride experienced preseason action, and Minnesota swiftly auditioned veterans like Kareem Hunt and Mike Davis, ultimately signing XFL standout Abram Smith and undrafted free agent Aaron Dykes from the University of Richmond. McBride did not showcase an overly optimistic preseason and was actually waived by the Vikings 11 months ago. However, the team scooped him onto the practice squad, where he spent his rookie season after clearing the NFL’s waiver process.

Minnesota found McBride in the 7th Round of the 2023 NFL Draft, joining a Vikings RB room that already contained Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, Ty Chandler, and Kene Nwangwu. Outwardly, it didn’t make much sense during the draft to add McBride, but about six weeks later, Minnesota cut ties with Dalvin Cook, the Vikings RB1 from 2017 to 2022. The road was then paved for a running back by committee, including Mattison, Chandler, Nwangwu, and midseason addition Cam Akers.

DeWayne McBride on First Impressions of Being a Viking & Translating College Success to the NFL. Vikings.com’s Tatum Everett talked with Minnesota rookie running back DeWayne McBride from the TCO Studios. The Vikings selected McBride in Round 7 of the 2023 NFL Draft.

McBride played in 31 games for UAB in college, tabulating remarkable numbers, with 3,523 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns. His career average per run was 7.3 yards, an astounding figure. He isn’t much of a pass-catcher, a to-be-desired trait that might’ve scared general managers in April’s draft.

McBride didn’t burst off the page in the 2023 preseason, though. He scored a couple of short-yardage touchdowns, yet, to the naked eye, McBride seemed to need more pro refinement.

vikings rb
Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports.

The Vikings ranked 27th per rushing DVOA in 2023 after the same ranking in 2022.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.